The Phoenix Heart
by melonstyle
Summary: Izuku Midoriya is on the search for his missing father after being exiled from his home village of Aldera. He has to keep on the move as his power is sought by many, but he hopes that Hisashi Midoriya will provide him with the answers needed. On the fateful night of 4th April 1864, Izuku has an encounter that will change his world forever. Ensemble, Historical AU. R&R!
1. prologue: revival

**A / N: Hello, welcome to my first fanfic for the BNHA fandom! I'm Mel and I used to write on this website for the Yugioh fandom way back when. In recent months however, BNHA has really taken my fancy and this muse struck me damn hard. I've always wanted to write within a historical setting and tbh I'm a huge Hakuouki fan as well, so I thought about crossing them over in some way. You don't need to be a Hakuouki fan nor a history buff to understand this fic, so dw about that!**

 **I don't want to give too much away, but I hope you enjoy!**

 **FANFIC SUMMARY:  
Izuku Midoriya is on the search for his missing father after being exiled from his home village of Aldera. He has to keep on the move as his power is sought by many, but he hopes that Hisashi Midoriya will provide him with the answers needed. On the fateful night of 4th April 1864, Izuku crosses paths with members of the Yoikusa, a secret faction linked with the Shinsengumi, who deal with matters of the supernatural kind in order to protect the shogunate. This meeting will change Izuku's world forever. He is forced into the midst of unrest in Japan, as the Isolationist Period is reaching its end and the nation will never be the same. However, Izuku Midoriya will find himself with the potential to change everything.**

 **(An ensemble cast fic with a historical fantasy setting. Lots of drama, tragedy and angst mixed in with friendship, comfort, romance and moments of joy. Ships include TodoDeku (slowburn), Kacchacko, KamiJirou, TodoMomo (pre-established), MidoTsuyu, onesided KiriBaku and others.)**

 **...**

 **prologue: revival.**

 _"_ _Please, I am begging you!" a middle aged woman cried out in agony, trying to free herself from the grasp of two village elders restraining her. She was protesting the leader's decision, though it drew no sympathy from the eyes of onlookers. Cutting whispers and piercing eyes made up the company that came to witness this departure. "He's just a boy! I'll make sure he gets trained, he can be controlled!" But the villagers did not see the boy at all, only the knife that plunged into the peace of Aldera and left paranoia in its wake. The boy knew that. "Please, don't take my precious son away from me..!"_

 _The boy looked to the guard who was escorting him to the gates. He wondered if a moment of weakness would reach his mind, granting some minutes of hesitation. It then occurred to him that if he really was allowed to farewell his mother, the leader of Aldera would have already made it happen. Still, the knowledge that his mother would not give up on him when everyone else did brought the slightest of comforts. He knew the reality was less kind than that. If his father was anything to go by, he knew that with this exile, he would never see his mother again._

 _There was a pause at the gate, but the boy would not get his hopes up. His eyes were directed to the ground, and his mother's cries abruptly ceased. The boy did not dare search the crowd for the cause of her silence. He already knew._

 _Addressing the crowd was the leader of Aldera Village, a stern old man with a rough, gritty voice. He was firm with his next words and the village knew that defying them would be treasonous. "It has been unanimously agreed upon by the Aldera Village Council, that due to the nature of his power, Izuku Midoriya must cease to exist in our society. This village must uphold the peace and all threats must be eliminated immediately. There will be no appealing of the decision made, not even by the boy's mother."_

 _"_ _Ha! Why would we appeal it anyway?" a particularly outspoken member of the village crowed out, though his friend elbowed him for the insensitivity. "Come on! He takes after his father and you all know it!" The onlookers descended into murmurs, especially the older villagers who remembered Hisashi Midoriya._

 _Izuku bit his lip at the mention of his father. He never knew much about him, and yet here he was, sharing the same fate._

 _One of the whisperings of the crowd reached his ears and plunged into his heart. "It's the mother I feel sorry for. Abandoned by her husband and then by her son? How cruel."_

 _Before Izuku could even protest or apologise or even begin to justify the situation, the leader spoke again. "Silence! Whatever your respective opinions may be, this young man is a danger to us all. There is no place for him in our midst." The village gates are pulled open, exposing the dense forest ahead. "Izuku Midoriya, you are henceforth banished from Aldera Village. Leave, and never return."_

 **...**

 **April 4, 1864**

Izuku was jolted awake by the rapping at his door. Jumping up, he ran to the window. The sunlight was almost blinding to his dreary eyes, which told him more than he needed to know. He was supposed to have cleared out of this room by now, and the rapping on his door must be the innkeeper's wife reminding him of this.

"I-I'm very very sorry!" Izuku called out as he tried to throw his few belongings back into his bag. "I will be out of your way soon!"

The innkeeper's wife sighed a little, but responded with a gentle voice. "Please do not push yourself too hard, Midoriya-san. It is the hour of the horse, and our next guest arrives at the hour of the monkey." Izuku knew that what she really meant was for him to hurry up and get out so she can clean in time for the next arrival. "I will prepare a meal for you before you go. The first meal of the day is very important."

He exhaled in relief – she wasn't too mad at him. Izuku quickly decided to himself that he would offer to help with the clean-up by way of thanks later.

Still, it was rare for Izuku to dream of the past. Not that he didn't think about it. He thought about his mother every single day, dedicating every prayer to her health, her happiness and overall wellbeing. His own heart was left in fragments the day he was forced to leave her, just like his father did so many years before.

However, he understood his position. After spending so many years believing he had nothing, that he was nothing… only for him to wreck everything. It was better for him to walk alone, Izuku knew that more than anything.

There was only one person in this world who could possibly grasp what he's been going through.

Hisashi Midoriya, his father.

Yes, the years Izuku has spent outside Aldera he was searching for his father. If anyone could provide answers, it must be him.

Entering into the year of 1864, Izuku finally had a lead to work with.

Later he would arrive in Kyoto.

 **...**

 **Late April 4, 1864.**

The busy streets of Kyoto had died down by the time Izuku Midoriya arrived, and he was starting to regret the hour he spent helping out with the cleaning at the inn in the previous town. Izuku tried all the accommodation he could find on the main street, but they were all fully booked. Nothing he could say or do convinced anyone of opening their doors to him. He was low on money too, which didn't help matters in the slightest.

Even though he had slept out in the cold before, no roof over his head, the concept still frightened him. Izuku came from an isolated village to a world where all sorts of turmoil and threats existed, and he was late in the uptake of it all. He did his best to research the current situation and couldn't place himself within it. Where does he fit in the Japan that was starting to deal with the outside world? Where people were now more divided than ever on the right path to take? The Izuku of Aldera never had to worry about these things. Nothing touched the village, not even the nation surrounding it.

Izuku had every reason to worry now, more than ever.

Despite the frost of winter dying down and spring going through its awakening, there was a chilling bite in the air as Izuku wandered the streets. He rubbed his hands together, fighting the cold that seeped through the fabric of his clothing.

In sheer desperation, Izuku tried knocking on the front doors of houses in the hopes of a kind soul, but there was no such luck. It was so strange though. A city like Kyoto he expected to be bustling with activity, even at this time of night. He thought hard, pulling out a map someone drew up for him while he was travelling through Nagasaki. That's when the solution to his problem finally appeared.

"Shimabara, that's…" Izuku narrowed his eyes, slightly embarrassed by what he was reading. The entertainment district of Shimabara. If any district in Kyoto was still lively, it was bound to be Shimabara. Izuku was never a fan of the nightlife itself. He didn't drink, nor did he want to engage in the pleasures that men raved on about. Not to mention the drunken brawling and the treatment of the women. It all felt so wrong in his mind. Nevertheless, staying somewhere in Shimabara was a preferable option to being out on the streets. It's bound to be noisy over there and he'd be unlikely to get peace and quiet until the hour of the tiger, but Izuku could not think of any other plans. This was the best he's got.

He steeled himself to head in the direction of Shimabara, following the map to a T. But even as he drew nearer, the sounds of the night barely increased in volume. What was going on?

Maniacal laughter burst from the shadows, followed by a gut-wrenching scream.

Izuku's eyes widened as he jerked his head in the direction of the sound. Instinct told him to stay away, but the scream lurched out and coiled around his arm. He locked eyes with a middle aged man, but dripping red snatched his attention and the source wasn't far away. One hand clung to Izuku like his life depended on it, but the other was missing, the limb cut at the wrist.

"Help… help me..!" the man cried out in desperation. Izuku couldn't breathe. Pulling away was the only idea that came to mind, but the stranger's hand chained him in place.

"Please," Izuku begged, unable to summon any other words.

He didn't have to.

Blood sprayed his freckled face as his arm was released, the stranger cut down by a vicious blade. He didn't want to see any more of this. The one who severed this man's ties to the world of the living; the final twitches and gasps as the life drained from his being. Izuku tore himself away and sped into a sprint. He didn't have to look back to know he was under violent pursuit. The cackling continued, but it was breathy and several different pitches blending together. With the heavy footsteps, Izuku knew there had to be at least four or five of them.

'Them'… Izuku could not begin to define these beings who were undoubtedly men, yet had the disposition of starved beasts. What could he do against the hunters as their targeted prey?

He already knew his capabilities, but he feared the consequences of bringing out such a power. The katana at his side would never be enough to handle these monsters. No one was going to step outside and join this madness. All doors closed, all alleyways leading to potential dead ends, all options begin to shrivel in the wake of the oncoming thirst for blood.

Izuku had to face reality. He didn't want to have to do this, but a clean getaway was impossible.

 _"_ _Silence! Whatever your respective opinions may be, this young man is a danger to us all. There is no place for him in our midst."_

Remembering such words only tightened his resolve.

With a turn of his heel, Izuku drew his katana and clashed with the nearest of the pursuers. Providing such a halt caught him off balance as the grip of his sword loosened. Izuku managed a side step to cut his opponent down, incapacitating him.

The remaining four blades plunged into his flesh from varying angles. Izuku gasped, before he tumbled to the cold, unrelenting ground and drenched it with red. Out of the corner of his eye, he knew that these beasts weren't satisfied with this. As the light in his eyes began to fade, Izuku knew only a few things.

One; the pain would leave him soon.

Two; the beasts weren't content with just the kill.

Three; the fifth blade was not out of the picture.

"Aizawa-souchou, I have a situation to report."

Shouta Aizawa, vice-commander of the Yoikusa, rested a hand on the hilt of his katana as he turned an eye to the shadows. A low, feminine voice had spoken from the shadows of the nearest alleyway and Aizawa knew it, as did his two companions. Their postures tensed slightly, all aware that tonight was not going to be another regular patrol. The arrival of Kyouka Jirou, kunoichi employed under the Yaoyorozu clan, told them more than words could.

"Which district?" he replied, cutting to the chase.

"Almost into Shimabara, northeast entrance side," Kyouka responded, "Five of them, all in the bloodlust stage. I incapacitated them, but in their current state it will not last."

"Understood." With that affirmation, Kyouka disappeared into the night. Aizawa turned to his companions and simply nodded, signal enough for the three to make their way to the scene. Shouto Todoroki, captain of the First Division and Katsuki Bakugou, captain of the Second Division. Each capable in their own rights, and Aizawa knew they would get the job done.

That being said, they each came with their respective quirks.

"What the fuck was Shitty-Hair doing?!" Katsuki complained, disappointment in his comrade well and truly clear. "I told him to let Droopy Face or someone cover for him!"

Shouto side-eyed his fellow captain. If he recalled correctly, Eijirou Kirishima had boasted loud and clear that he was ready to resume his duties only to be shot down by Katsuki. It was clear that Eijirou wasn't in his best state, but there was only so much fussing one could do over a man who could no longer be swayed. Shouto regretted not having spoken out against him before. Fumikage could have easily covered for him tonight, and they wouldn't be in this predicament

"Lower your voice, Bakugou," Aizawa warned him, though he knew no one heard something they shouldn't have. He felt a withering look thrown in his direction, but the Second Division captain didn't press it further. "We will handle it, and all traces of evidence will be removed from the scene. Understood?"

"Ryōkai!"

It did not take them long to arrive at the location Kyouka had indicated. What they were met with was of little surprise – five men, manic with bloodlust, drinking up from their latest victim. All five blades stuck into the corpse, unwavering against the bumping of monsters at their feast. Aizawa could only be thankful for the fact that nobody dared come close to the scene. Normal people stumbling upon these five would not escape alive.

But Shouta Aizawa, Shouto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugou were not normal people.

"Stand back, I've got this. I've been waiting all fucking night to deal with bastards like these!"

Katsuki, the rash of the three, charged for the group while they were distracted with their thirst for blood. He knew where to target, easily sticking his blade through their hearts. With their katanas sticking into the corpse, they were unprepared for a counterattack. All five of these men had been taken care of for good.

Shouto scrunched up his nose. While this thick, heavy scent of death wasn't a stranger to him; the sight of men who had once shared uniforms with them, shared living spaces with them, shared morals and aspirations with them… that was a burden he was used to bearing. He looked to Aizawa to give the next order, but the Vice-Commander of the Yoikusa was not moving a muscle. Shouto followed his senior's gaze to Katsuki, who was staring at the corpse with an unreadable expression.

When the moonlight shone upon Katsuki's face, Shouto could have sworn he saw something resembling misery, maybe even regret. But as quickly as his face became clearer, the clouds shifted and the expression was shrouded. Shouto couldn't decide whether he would commit that face to memory or not.

"Do you know him?" Aizawa asked, almost a rhetorical question, but it snapped Katsuki out of it.

Looking to the Vice-Commander, Katsuki finally spoke up again. "Years ago, before I joined you guys, my family took this idiot in for a while. He was kicked out of his home or some shit, but it's not like he stayed long enough for us to be friends." Shouto knew the lie within this mostly accurate account. "Fucking hell, Deku. Useless right until the very end."

Shouto finally took some steps closer to the corpse, a little more humanised by Katsuki's words. "If you knew him, then perhaps we should organise a proper burial. A letter to your parents as well, perhaps?"

Katsuki shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "They've probably forgotten him." He reached to pull the five blades from the aforementioned body. Shouto felt his fellow captain's walls go up, not wanting to go in depth with the subject. "There's no point. He was nobody important and if he's anything like before, he's got nobody who will miss him."

As Katsuki replied to Shouto, Aizawa changed his focus from his companions to the subject matter himself. He went closer for further inspection, sensing something incredibly off about this 'Deku'.

"He must have been important enough if you remembered who he was," countered Shouto.

"And how about you mind your own fucking business, Half-and-Half—"

"Be quiet, the both of you," Aizawa cut in between the two, pulling them back from the victim of the slaughter. Before Katsuki could snap, the Vice-Commander pointed a finger to make them examine 'Deku' properly.

None of them had seen anything like this.

A body, that had been cold and dead as the night, began to stir, a glowing light enveloping him. Spilled blood seeped into wounds, sealing over and becoming untouched flesh. Bones snapped as though they were realigning themselves within the flesh. Just when they thought they had seen enough, the body sat up with a start, inhaling the first breath of air in what felt like hours. The glow became a flame that spread out, turning the surrounding five corpses to ash. 'Deku' gasped, a hand over his lungs as he tried to steady himself, let his heartbeat return to normal.

In that moment, Aizawa could also sense Kyouka's presence nearby. Even the kunoichi, a master at making her presence unknown, could not have foreseen any of this. That being said, her recovery was swift and he could no longer sense her. Perhaps the kunoichi was surprised, but not at the same level of shocked that most would be. Katsuki and Shouto on the other hand, couldn't gather their thoughts quickly enough to even react. Especially Katsuki.

The golden flames began to die out and 'Deku' coughed loudly, choking up some dirt he'd accidentally almost swallowed before. He wiped at his chin, before grabbing for his bag and his katana in a hurry. Perhaps he would have made a run for it, had he not locked eyes with Katsuki Bakugou of the Yoikusa.

"… Kacchan?" he enquired, his voice just above a whisper.

But Katsuki was not having any of that. What was confusion, almost fearful, turned into anger at the unknown. "Don't 'Kacchan' me! What the fuck was that?! One moment you're deader than dead and the next… the next fucking moment you're 'Kacchaning' me and just—"

Shouta Aizawa stepped between the two, raising an arm so Katsuki couldn't get any closer. With his other arm he brandished his finest blade, the tip nearing 'Deku's throat before the boy could even flinch. "Drop your belongings and show your hands. You are a key figure in our investigation and so we would like for you to come with us for questioning. Show any sign of resistance and we will be forced to incapacitate you completely and put you under arrest. State your name."

'Deku' gulped thickly as he set his bag and katana down once more. Once he was up on his feet, he raised his hands where Aizawa could see them. His entire body was shaking nervously, a far cry from the unmoving corpse of before. "My name… my name is Izuku Midoriya, um…"

Shouto's eyes widened at the specified surname. His expression darkened, no further hesitation. "Aizawa-souchou," he spoke with a sense of urgency.

Aizawa glanced briefly at his companion, understanding what the concern was. "Change in plans. Todoroki, go ahead."

Before Izuku could question anything further, the young man referred to as 'Todoroki' had already come up behind him and delivered a powerful blow to the back of his neck. The wind knocked out of him, Izuku collapsed into an unconscious heap.

...

 **A/N: Thanks for reading this far! I will post the next few chapters over the next couple of days. Reviews are love - also yes this fanfic is cross-posted to AO3, so some of you might have seen it there already. Until next time!**


	2. chapter one: the yoikusa

**A/N: Like I said, I'll be posting a chapter a day so... here's this one! I'll upload again tomorrow and then it'll be a longer wait between each chapter (a week or so? Yeah) - anyway, read, follow, fave, review - all are much appreciated!**

* * *

 **chapter one: the yoikusa.**

...

 **April 5, 1864.**

Izuku's eyelids flew open with a start. Enough light spilled into the room to indicate that it was a new day. There was a dull chill that suggested early morning rather than further in. Hour of the dragon, snake maybe? He couldn't be that precise.

He was bound by rope and laid out on tatami in what looked to be a basic guest room. After the events of last night, he expected to wake up in some kind of prison cell. But a small pillow had been placed underneath his head and there was no sign he'd just been thrown in here carelessly. That being said, he was still captive to those people.

Katsuki's face came to mind. How long had it been since they last saw one another? Izuku recounted meeting the boy five years again, not long after his exile. He was struggling and Katsuki's family took him in. The Bakugou family were a colourful bunch, but they provided warmth to Izuku's lonely world. It was that exact warmth that gave him hope, yet served him with so much guilt.

How could he enjoy life while his mother was abandoned by the two most precious people in hers?

Not only that, but Izuku knew of the dangers he could bring just by existing alongside other people. That's why he had to leave the Bakugou family, though it hurt to do so.

 _"I guess that makes us brothers…"_

Izuku exhaled a little. Perhaps Katsuki had never forgiven him, but Izuku felt the strangest sense of relief seeing him, and even being berated by him. This feeling that there were things in this world that would forever remain the same brought ease in such a vexing situation.

He couldn't quite recall the faces of the other two men, but they seemed to have the same uniform as Katsuki. One of them had distinctive hair though, he remembered that much. It was a scorching red, but it was also a chilling white under the moonlit gaze. Before he could see past that, the young man had struck him down.

And now here he was. Before he could ponder more than that, he heard a knock on the door and a gentle voice. "Are you awake..?"

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was dry and no words came out. So he raised his tied legs and thumped them against the floor just enough to be heard.

To his relief, a young lady slid the door aside and stepped in, carrying a tray with food and tea. She had a youthful face with doe eyes and a presence that seemed to lift the air around her. As she set the tray down, she pouted at Izuku's current predicament.

"I can't believe you're still tied up like this!" she huffed a little, reaching over to untie the knots on the ropes binding his arms and legs. After she was done, she pulled back so Izuku could stretch a bit. "Todoroki-kun was being too cautious, please forgive him." Despite her best intentions, Izuku could only manage an awkward, raspy laugh. After seeing that he wasn't able to say much else, she went back to serving. "Oh, I brought you some tea and rice porridge. Enjoy them while they're still hot, okay?"

Her smile radiated too much light for his tired eyes. Izuku avoided her gaze as he reached for his cup of tea. "Mm," he gulped down the green tea, which felt like heaven after everything that happened last night. But he couldn't take the way this girl was smiling so whimsically. Izuku couldn't remember the last time he was greeted with such a friendly face that he couldn't believe that her hospitality was real. But when he finished his first cup of tea, she poured him a second cup and encouraged him to have as much as he wanted. "Th-thank you…"

"You're welcome, Deku-kun!" she chirped, causing him to choke on his first mouthful of porridge. Her eyes widened at that reaction, and she handed him a facecloth. "Are you okay? Oh no, did I ruin the meal?!"

Izuku shook his head in a hurry. "N-No, I just… I didn't expect you to uh…" he still couldn't look her in the eye, wiping around his mouth with the facecloth she had given him. "I just…" he chose his words carefully. "... I didn't expect you to know that name."

She quirked a brow – the way he worded it made it sound as though he had more than one name to go by. There was only one name that she overheard. "Well, Bakugou-kun referred to you by 'Deku' and nobody told me otherwise… I think it's a great name!" she replied, and Izuku didn't have the heart to correct her. "My name is Ochaco Uraraka, Vice-Captain of the 2nd Division! Welcome to the Yoikusa Headquarters!"

"Yoikusa… like… 'Night Army'..?" Izuku mulled it over, before continuing. "I haven't heard of them. The uniform I saw Kacchan wearing seemed like a variation of the Shinsengumi uniform, or something…"

Ochaco simply smiled. "We're a faction linked with the Shinsengumi, but to the public eye we're simply Shinsengumi. But the Yoikusa handle different tasks that require amazing specialists, so even girls like Tsu-chan and I can join in and help out!"

"Different tasks… you mean like handling those bloodthirsty men from last night?" Izuku furrowed his brow, looking down at his food. "Uraraka-san… what were they?"

"Sorry Deku-kun, but I don't have the authority to tell you much more than that," she said with a regretful tone in her voice. "After this meal, you will be sent to questioning and well…" she bit her lip, figuring out how to press on with her sentence. "Yagi-kyokuchou will decide what happens from there. I wish you could have more say in the matter but… Todoroki-kun insisted that you be thoroughly investigated. He didn't want to tell me why and well… Bakugou-kun is still in shock."

"I understand," Izuku sighed, knowing not to press further on the subject. "Kacchan's… Our relationship is complicated to say the least. I don't think he was happy with me but… after last night, it's… I'm a little shocked to still be alive, hah…"

"Don't say that!" Ochaco gasped. "Bakugou-kun can be a little scary but um, he's with Kirishima-kun – he personally requested that I was the one to come and see you! I think he does care about your wellbeing, at least in his own way."

Izuku's eyes widened at the mention of 'Kirishima'. He remembered how, back when he stayed with the Bakugou family, that Katsuki was best friends with a guy named Eijirou Kirishima. Ochaco must be referring to him. Katsuki and Eijirou trained at the same dojo and he assumed the pair were best friends by the way they always trained with one another. Izuku considered them pretty inseparable. If they joined the Yoikusa together, it wouldn't have been a surprise at all.

"I suppose," he finally responded, though his expression was bittersweet. "Ah, I understand if you cannot tell me much, but… if there is anything you can tell me, I'd really appreciate it."

Ochaco blinked, before pressing a finger to her lips. She picked up that habit from her dear friend, but to Izuku she simply looked as though she was lost in thought. "… You're what regular humans would refer to as a 'Demon', aren't you? But you kept that from Bakugou-kun." Izuku averted his eyes, telling her enough. "Deku-kun, I'm similar to you. Some of the Yoikusa are just like you! You're not alone here."

What she didn't realise however, was the impact that her words would have on Izuku. He looked as though he might cry – to hear that at this very place, were people just like him… Izuku choked back a sob, quietly thanking Ochaco under his breath.

"Uraraka-san… were you an exile as well..?" the question was spoken with caution and it hung heavily in the air. Ochaco's response was weightless, but significant.

"Yes, I am. Every 'demon' in the Yoikusa was banished from their homeland and well, we united under that concept. We're family," she smiled, pressing the tips of her fingers together. "Not everyone in the Yoikusa is a demon, but we're all connected."

"That… sounds nice," Izuku breathed, realising that such a concept was so close in his reach. He got the impression that Ochaco was really happy for him to be here, despite the circumstances that brought them here. But he didn't know much about her, why she was exiled and so much more. Yet the knowledge that 'I'm similar to you' spread a warmth in his heart that he couldn't ignore.

This came crashing down however, as the door into the room was slammed aside, making way for Katsuki Bakugou of the Yoikusa. Izuku nearly dropped his bowl of porridge onto his lap, but Ochaco seemed completely unfazed. The young man cast a harsh stare over the two, which only hardened when met with Izuku's anxious gaze. Ochaco looked between the two and could only imagine the unspoken tale they shared.

Just as Katsuki readied himself to erupt with all the words he'd built up inside, Ochaco intercepted him carefully. "Yagi-kyokuchou has summoned us, hasn't he?"

Katsuki nodded, holding himself back for her. "Don't keep us waiting. All the captains and vice-captains are there, they seem to think you're some big deal. Don't let it get to your head, Deku. Even if you hid a Revival ability from the rest of us, you're still as useless as ever."

Ochaco protested his words, but Izuku couldn't respond. The warmth of before was replaced with a chill that sent shivers down his spine. Even though this place held people just like himself, he was still the stranger. He was still a potential threat and an enemy, and no amount of kindness Ochaco showed him would change that.

...

Izuku knelt at the centre of the main meeting room of the Yoikusa Headquarters, surrounded by many unfamiliar faces. The largest of the men, an intimidatingly muscular figure with pointed blonde hair swept back and an intense look about him was sitting back on a larger chair, while all the others had cushions to kneel upon. Izuku could easily assume that this was Yagi-kyokuchou, and either side of him were two of the men from last night. Katsuki was to the right of the man with long dark hair, who seemed to have the most senior roles in the group – the vice-commander, perhaps? A quick observation of the group told Izuku enough about the rankings. He saw Ochaco was sat behind Katsuki, who had a coat that matched others who sat in front. The difference between captains and vice-captains were apparent.

However, there seemed to be someone missing. The cushion beside Katsuki was left empty and the vice-captain sitting behind that cushion was a very peculiar, almost froggy like girl. She whispered to Katsuki, something about a captain running late.

Just as Katsuki was about to storm out to drag the missing captain in, a familiar face burst in. What was a tense atmosphere before now felt a bit lighter as a young man was reddened hair spiked back announced his entrance.

"I'm here, I'm here..!" he hurried to his spot, ignoring Katsuki's fuming in his direction. "Midoriya, I never thought I'd see you again! What a sight for sore eyes!" Izuku immediately recognised him to be Eijirou Kirishima. His hair had colour put through it, which made him doubt Eijirou for a moment. But that toothy grin? It was distinctively Eijirou.

A dark haired man sighed, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "Kirishima-san, that is the third time you have been late to our meetings this month. I understand you have been recovering, but it is concerning."

Ochaco gasped lightly. "Three times? Amazing, three times in five days!" She didn't even sound the slightest bit disappointed, earning a withering look from the man with the glasses.

Eijirou laughed. "Iida, you kept count!"

Katsuki slammed his fist against the tatami, but it didn't exactly startle many of the group. "How about everyone shuts the fuck up so Yagi-kyokuchou can speak?!"

The man who Katsuki was referring to cleared his throat. Izuku expected him to have a very harsh kind of demeanour, especially with the respect that Katsuki clearly had for him. Izuku was trembling with anxiety, his mind racing a million miles an hour. He did his best to recall everything that had happened, so he could at least give his side of the story. This moment he can't run away from, nor hide. He had to give it his very best.

"So, young Midoriya, you must be wondering why we have brought you here," Yagi-kyokuchou began, "that will be explained to you shortly. I am Toshinori Yagi, Chief of the Yoikusa. How much do you know about the Yoikusa?"

Izuku had to pause his mind to think of an answer. "Y-You are – I mean, the Yoikusa are a faction linked with the Shinsengumi. The Shinsengumi were formed by the Bakufu last year to protect the shogunate in Kyoto. I imagine the Yoikusa protect the shogunate as well, but with Yoikusa, i-it can be translated to 'Night Army', so I guess most of your work takes place at night..? B-But you deal with some quite different, erm, unique kind of work like… everyone here are specialists of some kind." He bit his lip, unsure whether the response he gave was satisfactory, or about to get him in more trouble.

A small smile graced the Chief's lips. "You are a bright young man, Midoriya. Not unlike your father, Hisashi Midoriya." Izuku audibly gasped at the mention of his father, but Toshinori continued to speak. "Yes, we do know him. We also know of your exile from Aldera. I'm impressed you made it this far. Many of us were certain you would have been captured by now."

The man sitting between Katsuki and Toshinori spoke up, pushing some strands of hair away from his eyes as he did. "Judging by your reaction, you haven't heard from your father in a long time." After Izuku nodded in reply, the man continued. His voice was rough and hard to gage emotions from and it only heightened Izuku's nerves. "So, we want to hear your story. We don't want any old story and we definitely don't want you feeding us what you think we want to hear."

Izuku almost forgot Katsuki's presence, but he was still shaking ever so slightly with pent up anger. "Don't you dare lie, Deku. I can tell when you're lying," he growled, showing just enough restrain that told his companions he wasn't going to lash out. Not yet, anyway.

Ochaco peered over the shoulder of her captain to give what she hoped was a reassuring smile to Izuku. She could tell Izuku was a clever guy and that now was the time to be the most honest version of himself.

He didn't realise until right then and there just how much he needed that smile. It gave him enough courage to push forward in this meeting.

So Izuku told them everything he knew.

...

 _My name is Izuku Midoriya, and I came from the hidden demon village of Aldera. It was a very isolated community, but it was that isolation they sought to protect. I had my mother and my father and while life wasn't exciting, it was a gentle life. Well, no. Not entirely. In the home life was simple and gentle._

 _I didn't really fit in, because I didn't seem to inherit powers like the other kids did. They didn't want to be my friend because of that – I didn't have anything 'cool' to contribute, I guess._

 _Hisashi Midoriya was one of the few villagers who left regularly. He decided to go studying in this country called ah… I think it was 'Koninkrijk der Nederlanden' – he went there to study western medicine. My father was gone for about five years, I think. I don't really know why and well, my mother didn't tell me, but the people of Aldera were distancing themselves from him. Eventually he was exiled for good. Nobody would tell me why._

 _When I was about 15, our village came under attack. It was some other demon clan and well… they said… I was terrifying. I just wanted to protect my mother more than anything._

 _Calling my power a Revival ability isn't wrong, but… it's so much more than that._

 _If I get struck down and I die, I will always recover. All wounds gone, even severed limbs return to my body as if nothing had happened. Even if my head was cut, I'd return to normal. But that was the least of it. In my revival, a burst of flames would shoot out from my body and turn everything nearest to me to ashes…_

 _They said I had a Phoenix Heart._

 _Aldera faced more attacks after that. Demons from all over started to come for my power and my Phoenix Heart… it didn't just kill my attackers. It can kill anyone who gets too close to me. I couldn't control it, but I tried to, I really did._

 _It wasn't enough though, I got exiled. Aldera didn't want me – my presence brought danger to everyone else. It hurt so much to leave but I… I know why. I didn't want them hurt any further. So I ran and I ran and well, there was only one person I really knew on the outside, which was my father. I've been searching for him ever since. In my personal belongings, I have a painting of me with my parents. It's the best reference I've got._

 _Even though I had people help me to survive, I could never stay long. I knew I had to keep moving, even if it hurt those I left behind._

 _I got a lead recently, and it told me that Hisashi Midoriya had been in Kyoto, so I came here with the hopes of finding him again._

 _Last night, I arrived later than I hoped and I was struggling to find an inn with an available room. That's when I got pursued by these crazy, bloodthirsty men. I was reminded of the demons that have attacked my home village in the past but… these men had less inhibitions. I knew I couldn't run, so I made the choice to let them kill me. I don't know whether I wanted them caught by my Phoenix Heart or not._

 _When I woke up, some of your men were already at the scene. I didn't really get to talk much – at first there was the shock of seeing Kacchan again and um… I really did want to come peacefully. I was pretty desperate._

 _Something else happened and I don't understand it, even now._

...

Izuku hesitated for a moment before continuing further. He locked eyes with the young man to the left of Toshinori, the one with the white and red hair, the heterochromia eyes and a cool demeanour about him. "You… you reacted strongly when I said my name was Izuku Midoriya. As soon as I said that name, you proceeded to knock me out." Then he fidgeted, wondering if he was being too outspoken just now. They let him talk for so long that his mouth ran away with his words. "S-Sorry, I'm talking out of line, aren't I? Forgive me."

To his surprise, the other man seemed unbothered. "It's fine. You want to know why I did what I did. That's a reasonable reaction."

Toshinori looked between the two. "In any case, I think we can safely determine that young Midoriya here has no direct link to his father other than by blood," he concluded, though that truth stung a little. The Yoikusa Chief's eyes fell back on Izuku and the latter realised that this conclusion may be for the best in this particular situation. "You are not the only one looking for Hisashi Midoriya. This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but many are seeking the extensive knowledge that your father possesses. You mentioned that he was a practitioner of western medicine, but it goes much further than that."

It didn't take a scientist to guess at what Toshinori was referring to. "Those men from last night… the symptoms they had. Do you want my father to help with things like that?" Izuku enquired, or rather was seeking clarification. "Please, I don't know much about my father and… this is the most I've heard of him in so long."

There was a pause in the conversation as Toshinori's eyes scanned the rest of his subordinates. Even though Katsuki was clearly holding his tongue, it seemed as though the others approved their Chief continuing to speak.

"We believe that Hisashi Midoriya can make or break this situation that is slowly, but surely sweeping the nation. It is imperative that he be found before this escalates any further," Toshinori began, with Izuku's nerves steeling for the truth. "There is a formula that has been developed using the blood of demonkind to give an ordinary human astonishing power beyond all belief. While this power can be controlled, most will succumb to the side effects."

"The bloodlust..?"

"Correct," Toshinori nodded, glad that Izuku wasn't slow to catch on. "The Yoikusa's focus is in regards to how demonkind are affecting the course of history. Many demon exiles believe that their circumstance is an invitation to do whatever it is they wish, now that their homeland has abandoned them. Other demon clans wish to interfere with human affairs as well. The role of the Yoikusa is to reduce demon influence and help the Shinsengumi maintain the peace. With the eyes of the world on Japan, there is a high risk if this formula and demons themselves were to become international knowledge. We cannot let this happen."

Izuku seemed to be responding more calmly than most expected, but Katsuki knew the boy was panicking a lot more internally. "Y-You're telling me this because you want me to help…" at first he spoke the obvious, but Izuku let dumb courage take to the surface of the million emotions he was going through at once. "I want to help you. If the work you do, if finding my father – if all of that can save Japan, then I want to do my part to help." He bowed deeply, placing his hands flat against the tatami as his nose almost brushed it. "Please let me, Izuku Midoriya, be of use to the Yoikusa!"

Toshinori exhaled a sigh, but it was light and airy. "Raise your head, young Midoriya. You may join us."

"Y-Yes! Thank you very much!" Even though he raised his head, the follow up made him bow all over again. "I will do my best!"

Suddenly others in the group began throwing in their own words of encouragement and welcomes. Katsuki made a 'tch' sound, while Eijirou fistpumped the air. Not everyone was entirely ecstatic with the decision, but they understood it. When Izuku sat up and others simmered down, Toshinori continued to speak, introducing other members of the Yoikusa one by one.

The long haired man next to him was the Vice-Commander, second highest ranking in the Yoikusa, Shouta Aizawa. Captain of the First Division was Shouto Todoroki and his vice-captain was a kunoichi, Kyouka Jirou. Following up was Katsuki Bakugou as Captain of the Second Division and Ochaco Uraraka as his vice-captain. Captain of the Third Division was the glasses wearing young man Tenya Iida, whose vice-captain was a very peculiar looking fellow named Hitoshi Shinsou. The Fourth Division Captain was an enthusiastic guy named Denki Kaminari and his vice-captain was Hanta Sero. The Fifth Division Captain was Fumikage Tokoyami, an intense looking young man with another intimidating person for a vice-captain, Mezo Shouji. Finally, there was the Sixth Division Captain Eijirou Kirishima and the froggy looking girl as his vice-captain, a young woman named Tsuyu Asui.

Following up from the introductions, Izuku worked out what each of the Divisions specialised in. The odd numbered divisions had more skills in intelligence and strategy while the even numbered divisions handled a lot more of the combat and well, the gritty work. Yet the divisions worked like pairs, with divisions one and two working in the night, while divisions three and four worked during the day. Finally, fifth and sixth divisions worked with research – Izuku wasn't entirely sure what that entailed but he felt it best not to ask just yet.

It seemed as though each captain and vice-captain combination had a demon featured, though the majority of the entire Yoikusa membership were ordinary humans. Izuku wasn't sure if it was his own power helping him, but he felt he could guess who the demons were and who the humans were. Toshinori Yagi and Shouta Aizawa were definitely the former, they seemed to radiate strength that couldn't be matched. Shouto Todoroki, Ochaco Uraraka, Hitoshi Shinsou, Denki Kaminari, Mezo Shouji and Tsuyu Asui appeared to be the other demons in the group. Something felt incredibly off about Fumikage and Eijirou though, and he couldn't put his finger on it.

Before Izuku could size up everyone properly, Toshinori brought his attention back to him. "Young Midoriya, I want you to be trained before officially joining a division. For now I'd like Iida to train you and assess your skills."

Tenya nodded rather enthusiastically. "Understood, Yagi-kyokuchou! I will see to it that Midoriya-kun reaches the standards of the Yoikusa."

Aizawa looked amongst the group, seeing if everyone was content with that. "While Iida is taking care of our newest member, I will assume his fieldwork duties. I will be the judge of when Midoriya's allowed to leave headquarters though, got it?"

"Osu!" everyone responded to that.

"Divisions One and Two, go and get some rest. Division Three will meet with Kayama – I believe she has new intel for us. Division Four, get ready for patrol. I've got a letter I want you to pass onto Nagakura-san while he's on patrol, so make sure you cross paths with his group. Division Five, keep running those tests we discussed in our last meeting. Finally, Division Six… Organise your troops and rebuild the damages in our security. Everyone, dismissed!"

Izuku was amazed at how much Aizawa took charge just now, firing off orders and everyone setting about following said orders. He wondered if some of them might give into temptation to size up their newest member for themselves, but they were diligent. Well, the one named Denki gave Izuku's shoulder a squeeze on the way out and something about trying not to collapse under Tenya's training regime.

Just what was he getting himself into?

Before he could delve deeper into any of that, he found himself left alone in this meeting room with just Toshinori, Tenya and to his surprise, Shouto. Perhaps the Chief had told Shouto to remain while the others left to do as told.

"Yagi-kyokuchou, why did you ask me to stay?" Shouto asked, proving Izuku's guess to be correct.

Toshinori smiled slightly, but then the tone in his voice raised his expectations. "The truth is, I think the one who may be able to bring the most out of young Midoriya will be you, Shouto Todoroki. You were also the last person to make contact with Hisashi Midoriya within this group."

With a gasp, Izuku swivelled to face Shouto, locking gazes. "Is that true? You've met my father?!"

Shouto averted his eyes, finding Izuku's reaction to be a bit much. "Briefly. My father knows him better than I do." For reasons he would not explain, that response came out like cutting knives and Izuku wasn't prepared to push him further to understand it.

"That being said, you two are our best hope for finding young Midoriya's father. That is why, Iida, I want you to train him with Todoroki's division in mind," Toshinori instructed firmly. Not even Shouto could say no.

"Very well!" Tenya was extremely compliant. "In that case, I request Todoroki-kun to find a way to be more open at least with Midoriya-kun. If the fate of the Yoikusa and Japan itself is dependent on their partnership and co-operation to locate Hisashi Midoriya, then I would assume my request is more than reasonable." Compliant but also unafraid to make logical demands of others, Izuku realised.

Shouto bit his lip, but nodded. "I… will try."

Toshinori nodded around at the three young men. "There's plenty of time for Midoriya to get to know everyone. If everyone understands their duties, you're all dismissed."

Izuku finally rose to his feet along with the others and followed Tenya out of the room, thanking the Chief on his way out.

The Third Division Captain had quick feet as he paced through the hallways and led him out into the courtyard. Tenya showed Izuku around the headquarters of the Yoikusa, which allowed him to familiarise himself with the setting. Izuku was thankful that he had been raised a studious sort, because he couldn't imagine many others keeping up with all the information Tenya was transferring across. His explanations were extremely wordy and he spoke almost too hastily to keep up with. Almost.

He did get a lot out of the tour of the headquarters though. Not only was he able to gage where everything was, the laws of the Yoikusa and the schedule Izuku would be running by each day for the meantime, Tenya had acquired him his own uniform, a wooden katana to practise with and other soldier essentials.

"I can see why you were selected to train me," Izuku commented when he was finally led back to his new living quarters. "It's a lot to take in, but I'm really grateful. Thank you, Iida-kumichou."

Tenya couldn't contain his smile over Izuku's compliments. "No, you're the one I should thank, Midoriya-kun! Your timing in joining us was impeccable," he remarked, placing a hand on the shoulder of his trainee. "Our proud nation has the eyes of the world upon it, and it is more crucial than ever that we protect it. As the paths of demon and human intertwine, it is imperative that we work towards an outcome of peace and prosperity. Your desire to help us did not fall upon deaf ears, Midoriya-kun. I, Tenya Iida, Captain of the Third Division, will not fail you."

While his speech was dramatic, Izuku could feel that Tenya's intentions were honourable, genuine and from the heart. He couldn't help but return the smile he was graced with.

"I know you won't and well, I'll be giving it my all too. The Yoikusa could have done whatever they liked with me, but they chose to let me help. We will find my father – I won't let anything stop me."

...

 **1869.**

 _Back then, I was ready to embrace these people and this new life, for I, Izuku Midoriya had finally found my place in this world. A place where I was no longer alone, where there were others who were just like me. There were like-minded people and despite all our differences, our hearts carried similar goals._

 _I would reach that point where I would go to the ends of the world for any one of these people._

 _Beyond the grave however, the flames would always pull me back without them._

 _Would my dear, dear friends who have left me be proud of the man I am today?_

 _The way I am living now, I want to uphold everything you have given me these past five years. Everything I received, the joyful moments, the times spent where hearts drew closer, even the memories that bring me to tears, are my most precious memories._

 _I will never forget them, even when the day comes where I turn to ash and never return._

* * *

 **A/N: and that's the first chapter! Next chapter we return to 1864, with Izuku settling into his new life with the Yoikusa! Reviews are love, until next time!  
**


	3. chapter two: deku

**Hi everyone, thank you for coming and checking out my fanfic. I hope people are enjoying it so far, I know I'm having fun writing it. I'd love to hear people's thoughts so far, though I fear y'all gonna hate me for this chapter real soon... /thinking emoji**

* * *

 **chapter two: deku.**

...

 **May 5, 1864.**

A month had passed since Izuku Midoriya had joined the Yoikusa, a faction located in the great city of Kyoto. During that time, he had been training under Tenya Iida, Captain of the Third Division. Every day was crammed with studying, fitness training, sword training and chores around the headquarters. Tenya was a brilliant tutor, but Izuku began to realise that his brilliant tutor rarely ever ran out of steam. This man fit more work into Izuku's schedule within a month than any work he'd done in a lifetime leading up to this.

Ochaco checked up on the pair regularly and Izuku realised the close bond she and Tenya shared. It was Ochaco who suggested that the Yoikusa recruit Tenya in the first place.

Most nights, Izuku ate and studied alone in his room, but he was fine with that. His fellow members of the Yoikusa all had important work to do, which meant they couldn't always be with him. He hoped that once he was allowed to do fieldwork he could have more opportunities to get to know everyone. That being said, he didn't even know many of the names of the lower ranked soldiers who worked under the different captains and divisions.

He learned that Ochaco wanted to be in the Third Division, but after witnessing her powers, Katsuki made many demands. They sparred every day, usually in the late afternoon. Ochaco had this power to control the gravity of a person or object using her hands, and whenever she employed that power, defeating Katsuki came rather easily. However much it annoyed her captain, he always demanded to go again. She insisted she train without using her powers too, even though Katsuki overpowered her every time. Izuku was impressed by Ochaco's resilience.

Katsuki wanted to master fighting against those with demon powers; that much was obvious. As long as Izuku has known Katsuki, the spiky haired young man was competitive and set himself difficult goals. Strangely enough, Izuku had always admired that driven side though it often became a double-edged sword.

That competitive, goal-oriented Katsuki also held grudges and anyone who stood in his way was the target of his frustrations. Izuku felt the disdain emulating from the Second Division Captain, but he wasn't able to approach the subject since arriving here.

He wasn't the only one who was vexing. Izuku knew there was information being withheld from him by the Fifth and Sixth Divisions. Eijirou's presence didn't feel right – before it was just a hunch, but Katsuki has definitely been avoiding him. Clearly something was up. Fumikage and Mezo were a mysterious pair who often talked in hushed voices and Izuku couldn't help but wonder if they were conspiring. Izuku was desperate to bridge the gap with the Fifth Division pair, but conversations were always cut short. Even Eijirou was considerably quieter than Izuku had anticipated, but that may be due to the cold shoulder he was getting from Katsuki.

As for Tsuyu, she had left for a couple weeks and was due to return in a few days. Izuku hoped that perhaps he could try get to know her more, as he hadn't been able to do so earlier.

Despite the distance the Fifth and Sixth Division created between themselves and Izuku, he wondered if the Fourth Division was getting too close. Every week, Denki and Hanta were petitioning Aizawa to grant Izuku permission to go out drinking with them off-duty. Even though the answer was no each time, the two young men were very persistent. Izuku wasn't sure how to feel about this – he was happy the two wanted to bond with him, but he hadn't worked up the courage to admit he didn't enjoy the concept of partying it up in Shimabara.

Ever since the first meeting, Yagi-kyokuchou and Aizawa-sanchou barely had a moment's freedom to themselves. They were meeting with members of the Shinsengumi, not to mention the Bakufu. One of the meetings, Shouto accompanied them and from what Izuku could gather, it was because the Yaoyorozu were there.

Izuku still didn't know much about Shouto. The First Division Captain had a way of making himself unavailable, which only heightened Izuku's suspicions. Shouto was the last person to meet with Hisashi Midoriya, but touching upon the subject was near impossible. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one confused about that. Denki mentioned that he talked to Kyouka about it, but even Kyouka wasn't willing to give up information. All she'd say is that Izuku would be told when Shouto was ready to discuss it.

But when will Shouto ever be ready to discuss it?

Time was going to pass and Izuku would finally be allowed out of the headquarters to do patrol as well, and this information Shouto had could be vital.

...

 **Late May 5, 1864.**

Aizawa-sanchou had ordered Izuku and all the other captains to attend a meeting, just in the gap between the First and Second Divisions taking over from the Third and Fourth's duties. Yagi-kyokuchou wasn't present and neither was anybody in the Fifth or Sixth Divisions, but Aizawa mentioned something about having already spoken with them.

There was a heavy silence that filled the air and Izuku was weighed down by it. Most of the people gathered in the main meeting room gave off a sombre vibe and Izuku felt like the only one there who didn't understand why. Even Tenya, usually serious and earnest; or Ochaco, hardly without a kind word or warm smile, weren't sources of encouragement here.

"So Aizawa-sanchou, what's all this about?" Denki cut through the tension like a knife, looking as though he just wanted to get this meeting over and done with as soon as possible.

Kyouka quirked a brow in the blonde's direction, but held her tongue. One thing Izuku knew is that whenever Denki had something to say, Kyouka usually had some kind of remark at the ready. He was surprised not to hear that cynical tone of hers responding.

Still, Aizawa was more awake than usual and able to address everyone. While he wasn't known to show a lot of emotion, there was an underlying frustration as he spoke. "Conflicts have broken out in the Mito Domain. 'Sonnou Joui' is the philosophy being used, and the Ronin fighting under that philosophy are intending to overthrow the Shogunate. Yamada's been drawn into the conflict."

Ochaco gasped, cupping her mouth with a hand. Many of the others looked stricken, others sympathetic. Izuku, not really knowing who 'Yamada' was, could only stay quiet. What little he could tell was that this was someone very important to Aizawa. With a soft whisper, Ochaco explained to Izuku that Yamada and Aizawa grew up at the same dojo, which solidified Izuku's earlier guess.

There was something in what Aizawa brought up that Izuku did recognise however. 'Sonnou Joui' - 'Revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians'. It was a philosophy with heavy negative sentiments towards the shogunate, but moreso the West. As the concept promoted the idea of shifting loyalties from the shogunate to the Emperor, Izuku knew it wasn't something the Shinsengumi or the Yoikusa could get behind.

"I have received permission from Yagi-kyokuchou to go and investigate the situation for myself," Aizawa continued, leading to more gasps from the others. They all were aware of the importance of Yamada to Aizawa, but didn't realise the sheer depth of it. "I leave in one week. While I am away, Todoroki will be assuming my duties. You will refer to him as Todoroki-fukuchou, vice-commander of the Yoikusa. Kirishima's Division will be stepping it up, working together with both Todoroki and Bakugou's Divisions on the night duties. Asui will assist Todoroki, while Kirishima will assist Bakugou."

Katsuki scowled, clearly unimpressed with this new rearrangement of duties. "Oi, I know Shitty Hair's been a lot better than he was before, but those fuckers in his unit… Will they actually behave themselves?"

Aizawa frowned, but he was certain in his decision. "Tokoyami's Division has made a lot of breakthroughs with their research. Kirishima's Division have been following instructions and been through a lot of training. They're ready."

Izuku couldn't help but feel as though he was missing something really major here, but he wasn't sure if he should interject.

With Aizawa's response though, Katsuki chose the method Kyouka did it earlier when it came to Denki – he held his tongue. It allowed the commander to continue speaking. "Jirou, I want you to take up station in Shimabara. Aoyama gave us the go-ahead to let you do more information gathering."

"Osu—" Kyouka began to respond, only to get cut off by a loud, exuberant interruption from the Fourth Division Captain.

"Hey, does that mean Jirou's gonna dress like a geiko?" Denki sounded more enthusiastic than everyone in the room put together. Kyouka's cheeks reddened from embarrassment, averting her eyes to the floor while Katsuki reached over to smack the back of Denki's head. "Ow!"

"Nobody gives a fuck about that right now, Denki!" Katsuki snapped at him, though everyone else knew he was wrong. Denki gave many fucks about what Kyouka would be doing for her information gathering missions. Not that anyone was dumb enough to correct him.

"I'll do what I have to, not that it's any of your concern," Kyouka replied fairly diplomatically, neither confirming nor denying.

Aizawa cleared his throat loudly, drawing the attention back to him as he continued assigning duties. "Shinsou, you're to accompany Jirou and keep an eye out for trouble. If she needs your back-up, do as she says."

"Very well," Hitoshi replied, and that was that. Izuku wondered how he and Tenya worked with one another, with how quiet Hitoshi is in comparison to his captain.

His curt response was convenient for Aizawa though, who continued with his briefing. "Midoriya, you have shown improvements during the time you have spent here. Because of this, I want you to assist Todoroki as his page. You're not ready for battle, but you will continue your training to help you reach that point."

Izuku bowed his head. "Thank you, Aizawa-sanchou. I will do my best!"

"And another thing," Aizawa cut in, clearly not finished in instructing the boy. "Midoriya, I want you to take that name 'Deku' and own it. Outsiders of the Yoikusa will only know you as 'Deku', not Izuku Midoriya, not even as a Midoriya. Those among the ranks below captains and vice-captains have been told that you faked your identity and that you were only pretending to be the real Izuku. Becoming 'Deku' will become your protection."

He felt like Aizawa had just slapped him across the face, enough to leave a handprint. Being a Midoriya was the only identity he ever had, and Aizawa wanted him to abandon it. Izuku understood the logic – as Izuku Midoriya, he's hunted for his powers – but as Deku, he's nobody. The name was given in such a mean spirited moment of childishness all those years ago by Katsuki, but now Aizawa was making it his shield. He didn't know how to feel other than stricken.

Even Katsuki's expression was somewhat unreadable. Aizawa took that name he'd used for Izuku countless times and assigned it a role. It wasn't something even he could argue with.

"S-Sorry, Deku-kun…" Ochaco exhaled, her voice guilty. Izuku was confused by her apology and she could see that, so she pressed on with her explanation. "Aizawa-sanchou came to me about an alternative name and well… I really liked it, because I was reminded of Dekiruyo – you can do it!"

Izuku's eyes were wide and mouth gaping in shock, but it wasn't a bad feeling at all. He looked around the room and could see others with small smiles of support. Denki gave him a thumbs up and a grin, Hanta nodded approvingly and Tenya clearly understood as well. When Aizawa asked Ochaco about a new name, a new alias for Izuku, she went straight to one of the most encouraging words in their native tongue. She told Aizawa to make such a kind sentiment his protection.

Just like that, she changed the meaning of the name from something that put him down to something that raised him up higher than he could ever imagine.

He had never known what it was like to have his spirits lifted so suddenly after what he believed to be a downfall. To see others around him clearly agreeing to this new meaning gave him the most warmth he'd ever felt since arriving here. Nothing can take this away from him, or no one.

Katsuki clenched his fist and scowled at Ochaco, unable to contain his true thoughts on the matter. "Oi oi, that's how you interpreted that fucking name?! You can't just make up new definitions just because the original meaning doesn't suit you!"

"Why not? Lots of words mean more than one thing – it's the way you use a word that defines it," countered Ochaco – and nobody expected her to talk back to her captain like that, not even Katsuki himself. "But ah, if Deku-kun doesn't like the name then um, he can choose a new one, right?"

"No, I'll use it," the young man in question responded, smiling gently. "Before this conversation, I honestly would have refused the name. I didn't like the way it was used and I, I wanted to correct you on my name so many times, Uraraka-san. But now that I know your reasoning, I really like it. For the sake of the Yoikusa, I will become Deku from now on. The Deku that makes people think dekiruyo!"

Not even Katsuki knew what to say, but he was clearly fuming. The only thing keeping him from lashing out was Aizawa eyeballing him with caution. He pushed himself back up to his feet and stormed out of the meeting room, if only to prevent himself from mouthing off at his exiting commander and fellow captains and vice-captains.

Ochaco sighed a little, clutching at her chest and shaking nervously. "W-We've really done it now, huh..?"

"You were brilliant, Uraraka," Aizawa denied her the chance to feel any guilt for upsetting Katsuki. "As vice-captain, I expect you to tell your captain when he's in the wrong. I don't want you to roll over for anyone going forward." She took on those words and would make sure to ponder them later. For now, Aizawa would finish off the meeting. "Listen, I know you're all going to be able to take care of things around here. Everyone in the Yoikusa understands the goal we have all united under. I'll be gone for a while, but I will be back. Don't have me returning to find you've all waged war against one another instead."

"We won't!" Izuku replied, others echoing the sentiments also.

Finally, Shouto opened his mouth to speak. "There is one last thing we should do to close off the meeting then," he began, all eyes on him now, but Shouto's eyes were firmly on one person, "Welcome to the Yoikusa, Deku. From tomorrow onwards, you will assume your duties as my page. Everything you do will be for us, the Yoikusa, the Shinsengumi, the shogunate and Iemochi Tokugawa!" He spoke with a passion that Izuku had never seen in him before, but it drew him in like destiny. Even though Shouto wasn't one to talk with a great deal with emotion very often, the importance of this group and his role within it clearly mattered a great deal. "Deku, will you walk the same path as us going forward?"

Right then and there, Deku accepted his new role, his new name, his new everything that was bestowed upon him. If he wasn't considered a member before, he is now. His gaze locked with Shouto's and he already knew his truth before the words spilled from his mouth and sealed his fate.

"Yes, Todoroki-fukuchou! I, Deku, swear upon the Phoenix Heart, that I will work with the Yoikusa, I will fight alongside the Yoikusa, I will see the dreams carried by the Yoikusa through to the very end… and that dream we're all working towards, I would see Japan covered in ash before I ever let that dream die..! Like the legendary phoenix, nothing will knock us back, we will only rise from here. That is my heart's promise."

Shouto and Deku would not break that gaze the whole time the latter spoke. The match was lit and the candle between them burned with a newfound glow that others had never seen before. This determination Shouto and Deku felt came from places that the other does not know about, but somehow they understood.

With a new name and dream to see through, Deku truly found his purpose.

With the Phoenix Heart, Shouto saw a new core within the Yoikusa, something that would give everyone hope.

With this new breakthrough, Tenya could only reflect on what Yagi-kyokuchou said only a month ago:

 _"The truth is, I think the one who may be able to bring the most out of young Midoriya will be you, Shouto Todoroki."_

Tenya smiled to himself. Knowing the kind of man Shouto is, and having gotten to know Deku very recently, Tenya didn't think those words could hold any weight. Right now however, he was seeing a new beginning.

Shouto and Deku, two sides of the same coin, who will fight for Japan.

However, in the back of his mind was their enemy, and Tenya knew that when it came to the Yoikusa, Deku has only scratched the surface.

Moving forward, would the heart of the phoenix be enough?

...

 **May 6, 1864.**

"Starting today, I will train you up as a samurai."

After a whole month of avoiding Deku, these were not the words he expected to hear from Shouto Todoroki first thing after breakfast. He even had training swords prepared for them, clearly raring to go.

Deku blinked a few times, processing what was happening. "Usually I'm on clean-up duty after breakfast…"

"And now you're training to be a proper samurai," Shouto responded, not allowing room for further protest. They heard approaching footsteps and paused to see who was coming down the hallway. Shouto placed one of the training swords into Deku's hands and turned to face Denki and Hanta. "Ah. Kaminari, Sero. You're on clean-up duty today."

"Hah? Since when?" Denki fired back – this was sprung on them out of nowhere!

Hanta joined in protest. "That's right! Deku's being on clean-up for ages now, when did this change?"

Shouto pondered these responses. "If you two won't do it, then the only ones available to would be Bakugou or Jirou. Can you ask them to do clean-up?"

This silenced the pair's protests. They exchanged meaningful glances and decided that yes, they do treasure their lives after all. Deku could understand neither wanting to ask Katsuki to do the cleaning, but he couldn't help but wonder what Kyouka did to have these two young men fear the concept of asking her instead.

The pair entered one of the courtyards in the Yoikusa Headquarters and Shouto instructed Deku to do some warm-up exercises. He remained silent and watched as his trainee got to work. After a while, Deku was simply practising his swing. He felt he was doing okay, remembering everything that Tenya had taught him. However, it was only when he got to that point where Shouto spoke up again.

"Iida's style of kenjutsu doesn't suit you," Shouto remarked, his words cutting into a month's worth of training. "Your technique is good and you follow instructions well, but the reality is you're no Iida. He's taller and faster than you are, which means the application of his moves will definitely incapacitate his target." He approached Deku and compared the trainee's height to his own. "Iida's style is Mugai Ryu and it suits him perfectly, but you haven't got the right build. I'll teach you Tennen Rishin Ryu, but I'll get Kaminari to train you on his iaijutsu."

Deku lowered his training sword, mulling over Shouto's words. He'd seen Denki and Hanta sparring before – it made sense to learn Denki's iaijutsu. Their heights and builds were extremely similar. "Tennen Rishin Ryu is what most of the Shinsengumi like to use, isn't it? I have the groundworks for it, but Iida-kun hasn't taught me as much about bojutsu or jujutsu…"

Shouto didn't look surprised. "Mugai Ryu traces back a few centuries and its entire curriculum was kenjutsu. The Iida family are very proud of their traditional education, so it's expected that he would have focused his teachings from it. Of course, the Iida family have taken the basis of Mugai Ryu and applied iaijutsu. His quick-draw rivals Hajime Saito. He has never needed to truly apply bojutsu or jujutsu." Words faded into silence as Deku took it all in. Shouto stepped back and gestured for Deku to raise his sword. "I want you to attack me using what you've learned so far."

Despite saying such a thing, Shouto had his own training sword hung at his belt. His stance wasn't a fighting one. Deku wasn't sure what to make of that, but Shouto obviously knew what he was doing. Still, he remembered the footwork Iida used and he prepared himself for this. He shifted his own training blade to his hip and observed Shouto's positioning. The distance between them, the angle Shouto would draw from and most importantly, if he can find the opening.

He kicked off from his left foot and in his lunge, Deku's blade swiped from his hip and pierced the gap. His prediction that Shouto would manoeuvre himself to the left wasn't a wrong one, and with a turn of his heel he could follow through. The blade was pushing through, he was inches from the target and a kill was in his sights.

The air left him for a moment and his back slammed against the ground. His training sword flung from his grasp and off to the side and the only thing that kept Deku from pushing up again with the kunai at his throat and Shouto hovering over him.

"I suspected as much," Shouto spoke, cutting to the truth yet again. "Your body cannot keep up with your thought process and you know that. But your Phoenix Heart is your fall back. When you can't win, you die. By the time you revive, your fight is over." The tip of the dagger was dangerously close to sinking into flesh and it took all of Deku's willpower not to just let it happen. Not this time. "This world you've chosen to enter isn't like that. When you can't win, everyone dies." His trainer's voice was bitter and alone told tales of experience that was beyond Deku's imagination. "That heart of yours beats for all of us now. As your captain, I won't allow you to betray us."

With that, Shouto drew back his kunai and pushed himself back to his feet. Deku only then realised the close proximity between one another and the way Shouto could have reduced him into ashes in merely a second.

His heart beat faster when he realised the depth of Shouto's words and the importance placed upon him. But the feeling that would remain etched in his memory along with such words was the scorches against one sleeve and the bite of frost at his neck. And only when Shouto pulled away did the spring air seep through and neutralize that cutting contrast.

Deku knew Shouto was a demon, just like himself. Since coming to the Yoikusa, he saw the different kinds of demons that existed within. Ochaco's kindness, Hitoshi's aloofness, Denki's enthusiasm and then… then there was Shouto Todoroki.

He couldn't put a finger on it. Last night was the first stepping stone and Deku knew that, but he couldn't tell what that stone looked like from the captain's perspective and how he crossed it. How was it that he managed to do that? What sparked Shouto to show the side that was so passionate for the cause, yet barricade the very reasons behind it? The scorched fabric of his sleeve and the chill that ran down his neck was going to haunt him, but Deku knew that somewhere within Shouto, existed the key to his father.

A similar sentiment was returned.

 **May 10, 1864.**

Denki took the lead in showing Deku his footwork and movements, the latter mimicking him. Observing their training was Tsuyu Asui, who had recently returned from her trip late yesterday afternoon. Her announcement at the meeting was said to have brought about a lot of mixed feelings. Deku didn't think Katsuki's mood as of late could be any fouler, but apparently that was proven wrong. Thankfully Denki was a free speaker and unafraid to share his opinion, even with the original bearer of the news in present.

"Look, I just kinda wish Bakugou would get over himself! Yeah, we all don't really like that Monoma guy and hell, nobody really knows how to interact with Kan, but we need more people! Especially with Aizawa leaving in two days!" Denki ranted as he did some practise swings. "Kirishima's doing us a huge favour making use of that Tetsutetsu connection!"

Tsuyu clicked her tongue, and Deku couldn't help but stare a little. It was only recently that he realised just how frog-like she was, and it felt like she missed nothing. Nothing happened without Tsuyu noticing it, and at first Deku didn't really understand it. However, throughout this training, she pointed out more mistakes than even Shouto or Tenya would. Everytime their eyes made contact, he'd look away apologetically and do his best to apply her critique. He never knew any girls who were this blunt, but she was honestly very helpful. Everything she pointed out was true.

"Kaminari-chan, I thought you were agreeing with Bakugou-chan before?" Tsuyu quirked a brow, pressing a finger to her bottom lip. That was a habit he quickly observed from the girl. As soon as that index finger reached her lip, some kind of cutting but accurate remark would follow soon after. "I heard your complaints to Sero-chan before I left, kero."

Denki gasped a little. "Oi, oi, Asui – uh, Tsu-chan, that was before Aizawa-sanchou made that whole announcement about joining Yamada with that whole Mito Rebellion problem!"

"Yes, I was not surprised to hear the news. If Aizawa-sanchou were to lose Yamada-san, he may not return to us."

"Oi, if Aizawa doesn't return, what if Kan steals his job?! That would be the worst..!" Denki worried, but Deku couldn't help but feel it was the wrong concern. He just wanted Aizawa and Yamada to be safe and sound.

From what Deku could gather, Tsuyu was sent out to see about recruiting Sekijiro Kan and his men to align themselves with the Yoikusa. One of the notable members was Eijirou's original sparring partner, Tetsutetsu, but apparently within Sekijiro's group were people who had the others on edge. The main name dropped as a point of contention seemed to be a young man named Neito Monoma, but the reasons why weren't exactly clear.

Nevertheless, Eijirou insisted on sending Tsuyu out to make contact with the group and Yagi-kyokuchou approved the request.

Deku bit his lip, lowering his training sword. "What's Todoroki-fukuchou's opinion on the matter?"

"Doubt he cares either way," remarked Denki, giving a shrug of his shoulders. "All he cares about is—" he stopped himself when Tsuyu gave him a pointed look. "Well, y'know…"

Tsuyu exhaled a little. "Well, Momo-chan is really happy. Tetsutetsu-kun's wife is a very dear friend of hers. She'll arrive before the rest of them do."

"Oh, so if the wife is happy, then it's fine?"

"Wife?" Deku enquired, finding that he was definitely missing something here.

Denki grinned wide, bearing his teeth. "Did Todoroki seriously not tell you? Wow, he really is private as ever!" He chuckled, clearly amused with this. "Uh yeah, the Yoikusa are funded by the Yaoyorozu family. Todoroki is married to their only daughter, Momo Yaoyorozu. They're loaded."

This definitely came as a surprise to Deku, but the marriage certainly made sense. The Yaoyorozu family are certainly influential as well as very wealthy, and the very little he knew of the Todoroki was that they were highly ranked amongst demon kind. A group like the Yoikusa certainly earned a lot for the work they do, but they needed a lot of funding as well. With the Yaoyorozu loyal to the shogunate, they were certainly a valuable sponsor.

"I see," Deku replied a little sheepishly, "I guess it was a mistake to assume everyone here wasn't married."

Tsuyu tapped her bottom lip. "Iida-chan is married."

At least one training sword collapsed to the ground, and it wasn't Denki's. "Eh?"

"His second child will be born soon, kero," Tsuyu continued, enjoying the expression of Deku's face. "His wife is very talented with making katanas. She's very funny and talkative, I like her."

Denki was this close to doubling over with laughter. "Iida is soooo hilarious when it comes to his wife and kid, y'know? You could go days, even weeks and not hear him mention them once, but if ya go and actually ask him 'bout them, he won't shut up for years!"

All Deku had to do was ask? Suddenly Deku found himself really fearful of everyone. There were all sorts of secrets and information that they all possessed, and he was still a long way away from being up to date with it all.

"Uh… is there anything else I should know?" Deku asked a little weakly. He leaned over to pick his sword up again, still a bit stunned by the revelation of Shouto and Tenya having wives, the latter even having a child. What else was he missing? "I-I'm not trying to be nosy, I swear, it's just… sometimes it's a bit lonely not knowing things like that..?"

The other two exchanged looks. Denki loved sharing other people's gossip and Tsuyu had a way of just knowing things. Between them was most likely volumes upon volumes of information about the members of the Yoikusa. Deciding where to begin was the issue.

Eventually Tsuyu opened her mouth to answer, preventing Denki from getting a word in. "I think it would be best to ask each person individually when it comes to private matters, Deku-chan."

"But if Hanta mentions having some demon princess lover, he's full of shit," Denki just had to throw in that addition.

"And if Kaminari-chan mentions having ever had a lover at all, he is also a liar."

It was Denki's turn to drop his training sword in shock.

...

 **Late May 10, 1864**

Deku had returned to his quarters for the night, having laid out his futon and readied himself for sleep. He was exhausted, but Shouto was right about Denki's iaijutsu style being a better fit for him than Tenya's.

It amazed him just how well versed Shouto was when it came to the education of his comrades. Tenya was also extremely knowledgeable about it as well, but Shouto seemed to really understand it to the core. It was as though the way of the samurai was his livelihood. Shouto had mentioned over dinner the other night about always reciting his own mantra before going to sleep and suggested that Deku do the same. If Deku was ever going to become a samurai worthy of serving under him, he was prepared to do whatever it takes.

"My name is Deku. I fight for the Yoikusa, I fight for the Shinsengumi, I fight for the shogunate, and I fight for Iemochi Tokugawa. I am a samurai and bushido is my way of life. Righteousness, courage, compassion, respect, honesty, honour, duty and loyalty. My Phoenix Heart beats for everyone now… My name is Deku. I fight—"

A strangled scream cut through his mantra, followed by sounds of panic and finally, a commanding voice over the top of it all. Deku sat up and reached for his katana, before getting up to pull on his sandals. Whatever the commotion was, Deku knew he had to help out. He slid aside his door and listened out for where to head next. The source of the noise was close to the entrance. Were there intruders?

"Deku-chan!" Tsuyu spotted him down the hallway and sprinted over to him. "How much medical knowledge do you have?" Her voice carried a lot of urgency and in the corner of his eye, Deku could see some of the other captains heading toward the sound.

As his father was a practitioner of western medicine, Deku took it upon himself to learn as much about it as he could. He had hoped that it would bring him closer to finding his father. While he had no such luck, this knowledge was needed and needed now.

"I wouldn't call myself a doctor, b-but I know how to tend to the wounded, and I know about preventing infections and uh…"

Tsuyu's expression hardened. "That's good enough. Tokoyami-kumichou has been wounded badly. Help me stabilise him until the surgeon arrives!"

Deku's jaw dropped, but he hurried after Tsuyu. He hadn't interacted with Fumikage much since joining the Yoikusa, but from the little he knew… No, it just couldn't happen. He's seen Fumikage spar with Mezo and quite frankly, he was among the very best in the Yoikusa. The concept of any of the vice-captains sustaining wounds was tricky to picture, but one of the captains themselves? It wasn't right, it wasn't possible.

They drew close to Fumikage's quarters where they found Ochaco holding Eijirou against the wall opposite the sliding doors. The Sixth Division Captain was biting hard into the flesh of his own hand, but where Deku expected blood to be drawn there was none. To Deku's horror, the strangled screams belonged not to Fumikage like he expected, but Eijirou. He was absolutely incoherent.

His heart raced as it took him back to the night of April 4, his arrival in Kyoto. He recalled crazed eyes and bloodlust. Speech couldn't be understood, only the mania and this nausea-inducing thirst. Red pooled through the hallways and Eijirou's unfocused eyes followed the path it made into Fumikage's room. Deku didn't know this Eijirou.

This wasn't Eijirou Kirishima, Captain of the Sixth Division. This was the monster, all five that pursued Deku in the streets of Kyoto. He could feel their blades hunger for his flesh all over again.

Deku wanted to be sick.

Ochaco was pleading with Eijirou, telling him to suppress it, urging him to get back to Katsuki out in the field. The only thing keeping Eijirou in place was Ochaco's power, but he was muscular and determined to break through her grip. She was maintaining her ground, but Deku wasn't sure if she could handle him for much longer.

"Uraraka-san," Deku called out, approaching to try and help her. Tsuyu gripped his wrist and shook her head, continuing to lead him into the room where Fumikage was being treated.

The last thing he saw got before heading in was Eijirou's pointed teeth sinking into Ochaco's shoulder.

* * *

 **next chapter: Deku realises the very depths of what he's gotten himself involved in. Katsuki's concerns are justified, but he cannot undo the events of March 1864. If only they listened.**


	4. chapter three: half and half

**Hey it's Mel back with another chapter. First of all thank you to all who have been following this fic. I'd really like to interact with more of you! I want more friends in this fandom tbh  
**

 **This chapter is pretty heavy, but I feel like I was able to convey a lot of plot elements. A lot gets revealed this chapter and several foundations have been laid for times ahead. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **chapter three: half and half.**

 **Late May 10, 1864.**

A heavy fog clouded the atmosphere, but the stench of blood thickened it. Katsuki watched in silence as Yagi-kyokuchou was catching his breath after they had to slay a group of bloodthirsty ronin. Even in the mists, Katsuki could see muscle dwindling away from Yagi-kyokuchou's once perfect physique. If it were anyone else, Katsuki would have plenty to say. His admiration and devotion to the Chief of the Yoikusa ran deeper than the overwhelming dread that surrounded them.

Finally the Chief of the Yoikusa stood tall, turning to his subordinate captain. "Young Bakugou, the threat is over. Arrange for your team to clear the carnage."

"Osu," Katsuki replied, before turning to his men to bark out the orders. They immediately got to work, though clean-up was never a great job.

Aizawa saw them in the distance and arrived with samurai under his command. "Yagi-kyokuchou, I have an update on the situation." When given the go ahead by his superior, he continued to speak. "Todoroki has captured a… being of some kind who is believed to have distributed the Elixir – his name... they were referring to him as a 'Nomu'. This isn't the first time we've captured a distributor referred to as such, but we're going to have Shinsou help with the interrogation this time. We also captured a young man who seems to have resisted the effects better than most, but his memory isn't very good."

Yagi-kyokuchou processed the information fed through to him. "Good work, Aizawa-sanchou. I will need you to be present for the interrogation, but I will have young Todoroki join you as well."

Katsuki joined the other two men, now that he was certain his division were sticking to their task. "Oi, Aizawa-sanchou, have you heard from Uraraka? She was supposed to be meeting us here by now. What about Kirishima?"

"I haven't, but Jirou's on her way to our location," Aizawa replied, raising an eyebrow at the Second Division Captain. It wasn't often he used the actual names of fellow comrades, but he could see Katsuki was more on edge than he was willing to show.

The one in question had broken out into a careful sprint, scaling the rooftops of late night Kyoto. Even though it was nothing but fog ahead of her, Kyouka knew this city better than the back of her hand. Her senses were keen and heightened and she was nimble on her feet, leaving no sound in her wake. These movements were urgent though. With a final leap, she landed between the Chief and Head Commander.

"Yagi-kyokuchou, I have an urgent report!" Kyouka announced, wasting no further time before detailing it all. "The Fifth and Sixth Divisions encountered another group of transformed ronin near the outskirts of Southeast Kyoto. However it is much larger than the groups you and Todoroki-kumichou encountered. Third and Fourth Division are already on their way over as back-up. The problem is that Tokoyami-kumichou's group were ambushed and he's got very serious injuries. Uraraka-dono was nearby and has already got her group backing them up too. She used her abilities to rush Tokoyami-kumichou back to headquarters. Kirishima-kumichou went with her to help protect them – Tokoyami-kumichou's blood was attracting the transformed. However, I am requesting that more back-up be sent to Shouji-dono's location!"

Katsuki's eyes were wide – to think that so much was happening on the opposite end of Kyoto. Yagi-kyokuchou didn't have time to ponder decisions, so he made the decisions right then and there. "Young Bakugou and I will head over with our men. Aizawa-sanchou, finish up here and head back to headquarters with Todoroki's Division. Jirou, call for Shuzenji-sensei to be brought to headquarters. Escort her there personally. Everyone, out!"

"Osu...!"

As Katsuki followed the same path as Yagi-kyokuchou, he couldn't help but notice that his back was smaller than it used to be. His footsteps were easier to keep up with now. While Katsuki was able to believe that his vice-captain and Eijirou were handling themselves, his concerns for the Chief only heightened by the day.

Heading over to the location Jirou specified to them, Katsuki made a silent promise to himself. As the Chief gets older and frailer, Katsuki would step up to take over the reins of the Yoikusa for him.

It killed him inside that he wasn't chosen for the position Eijirou was now in, but Katsuki knew he had something bigger to prove.

Ochaco fell to her knees, still holding Eijirou over her as he lapped at the blood seeping out from her shoulder. She felt faint, but she knew there was no point throwing him off her using her abilities. His own power would prevent him getting knocked out, and now she lacked the strength to stop him going after Fumikage. But it was terrifying, having Eijirou behave this way. Katsuki's closest and dearest friend…

"Kirishima-kun…" she breathed out weakly, causing the other to pause. This was followed by silence between the pair, with the only other noise being the panic within Fumikage's room where he was being treated. Then she heard a sound that broke her heart – the soft sobs as Eijirou's mind returned to reality. "Kirishima-kun?"

"I'm sorry… fuck… I'm so sorry…" he gasped as it dawned on him what he had done. "Shit..!" he brushed a hand gently over the chewed skin of Ochaco's shoulder and she flinched. Even though she knew her wound would heal faster than the average human's would, right now it was still extremely vulnerable. "Uraraka, please forgive me..! That wasn't the real me, you know that… right?!"

She was so used to the strong Eijirou who could light up a room with his toothy grin alone. The Eijirou she knew was funny and spirited, not full of misery and self-doubt. He was still trying his best even now, but she missed the Eijirou she met when she first joined the Yoikusa so much.

Right now, Eijirou had succumbed to the side-effects. It was likely the time spent escorting her and Fumikage back that broke him down. She understood that much – the state of Fumikage was still an image glaring in her mind, and she knew it would haunt Mezo even more.

"There's nothing to forgive, Kirishima-kun…" she threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight. "You're my friend. You helped me bring Tokoyami-kun back to Headquarters. Thank you." Such words only made Eijirou break down even more. Ochaco was being too kind and he knew he didn't deserve a shred of it. He hated this unmanly side of himself, this weak side… he was supposed to be strong – they both were – but Ochaco was holding the fortifications up for the two of them combined. "There's another thing I've realised, Kirishima-kun."

"What..?" he asked softly, his spirit like glass.

"You snapped back to normal much faster drinking my blood," she answered gently, but firmly. "Wasn't that one of Tokoyami-kun's theories? You proved it."

Eijirou's eyes widened as Ochaco referenced the experiments of the Fifth Division. Thinking back on them, he did see different formulas tried on his men – he didn't want them thought of as test subjects, not while the majority of them still had their humanity intact. The Sixth Division Captain exhaled a shaky laugh.

"I just chomped on you and all you can think about is that..? You're unbelievable…"

Ochaco giggled slightly in spite of herself, finally withdrawing herself from him. "Yeah, um… I'll need to get this treated too."

"Bakugou's gonna be pissed off with me once he finds out," Eijirou realised now that he was getting a better look at the wound he caused.

She placed a hand over it softly. "Let me handle Bakugou-kun. He may be angry but… more than anything he worries about you. You're a precious friend to him."

Eijirou managed a small, though genuine smile in return. He would suppress the anguish and guilt for now.

As soon as Tsuyu pulled Deku into Fumikage's room, his thoughts of Uraraka were side-tracked by what he next laid his eyes upon. There was Denki, using his electrical power to keep Fumikage's heart pumping. Hanta was cleaning the wounds and talking to his patient, anything to keep the man awake. Those aspects of the scene did not shock Deku at all. In fact he expected people to already be in here caring for Fumikage.

He thought the contents of his stomach were going to force themselves up his throat. There was a long, jagged cut along Fumikage's left arm. Normally the cut should be clean, but upon closer inspection, Deku realised the worst. Not just about Fumikage's arm, but along his right shoulder, his left cheek and—oh.

Fumikage's right ear was completely gone.

"How did this happen..?" Deku finally broke into the thick tension between Denki and Hanta as they worked on keeping their comrade alive. "I can see where the enemy's katana landed a hit but…" He knelt down beside Fumikage's body, reaching for tools to help Hanta and Tsuyu with cleaning out the wounds. "These wounds… it's like animals tore into him."

Tsuyu shook her head. "Tokoyami was cut down and then… the enemies were like cannibals, surrounding him all at once."

"Cannibals?" Deku was a ghostly shade of white, quivering as he imagined what happened. "So the uneven wounds…"

"They were out for his blood, they didn't care if they got flesh while they were at it!" Denki barked out furiously, his electrical charge making Fumikage's body jump a little.

"Stop," Hanta responded firmly; Denki corrected his electricity flow. "If you use too much of your power, that's it for him."

"I know… I just hate it! I hate that damn Elixir!" the blonde man cried out in frustration. "Why did it have to be made? Why was it funded? Why did people decide to infect the population with it? We could lose Tokoyami because of it."

Hanta looked sympathetic, unsure what to say to that. Tsuyu cut in before Denki's frustrations were left hanging in this chaotic place. "We won't lose Tokoyami," she assured Denki, "he's strong."

Deku bit his lip as the other spoke, then hardened his resolve. Everything that Denki spoke of terrified him and left him with many questions, but he couldn't ask those right now. The priority is Fumikage. "Give him my blood. I'm sure you all are aware of the healing properties of demons' blood… and my power has amazing restoration capabilities."

"Are you sure?" asked Tsuyu, hesitant about this plan. "If you consent to this, it will hurt and… I can't be sure of the side effects it will have on Tokoyami."

"Yes, I'm sure. Please let me help Tokoyami-kumichou."

Tsuyu glanced to the other two young men, who nodded their approval.

Fumikage had been quiet this entire time, but he opened his eyes enough to flicker them towards Deku. "Thank… you…" he breathed out weakly.

"Don't thank me just yet," Deku responded, but his voice was soft and assuring.

Very carefully he took a knife and made sure it was disinfected with alcohol before making a clean slice on the back of his left arm. Tsuyu took a small cup to help catch the blood leaking from the new cut and once it was full enough, she carefully poured the liquid down Fumikage's throat. After what felt like forever, they could see a slight difference in the wounds that he'd sustained. They were sealing up, if only a little.

Denki frowned. "It's not healing fast enough."

"Humans simply don't heal the way we do," Tsuyu reminded him. Deku nodded – but Fumikage was still improving faster than the average human would. His blood was having an effect. All they could do now was keep tending to him until a doctor arrived.

The thumping of hurried footsteps caused the four to look up from their patient. Kyouka slid the door wide open. "I've brought Shuzenji-sensei..!" she breathed out, and a little old lady stepped into the room from behind her with a bag over her shoulder. Before Kyouka could collapse to the floor in exhaustion, Denki rushed up to catch her in his arms to keep her standing.

Slinging Kyouka's arm over his shoulder despite her tired protests, Denki began to talk her down. "Kyouka, you've been running all over Kyoto relaying messages, haven't you? You've done amazingly. Come on, let me help you back to your room at least."

Kyouka bit her lip before nodding. "Sero, tend to Uraraka. I got a quick glimpse but… her shoulder isn't good either. I'm certain Kirishima fed from her." She sounded bitter, but she could definitely see a comparison between Ochaco's wounds and Fumikage's. The chewed flesh, the emphasis on the extraction of blood… she despised it.

Denki shook his head in disbelief. "No… Kirishima told me he wasn't craving it, he wasn't..!"

"If he wasn't before, he is now," Kyouka responded flatly. "And if Bakugou finds out…" she didn't even need to finish that sentence. They all knew.

Hanta understood the importance of his role. "Alright, I'll help Uraraka."

Tsuyu's eyes widened, clearly shocked. Deku felt his stomach churn at the thought. "I'll take care of Kirishima-kumichou. Deku-chan, stay with Shuzenji-sensei and Tokoyami-kumichou."

"Okay, but… we can't hide it from Kacchan… he would hate it even more if we tried to cover it up," Deku pointed out. He knew what Katsuki was like and no lie ever got past him for long.

Deku was met with momentary silence, eventually ended by Kyouka. "Deku's right… and I know my captain would agree as well. With Tokoyami injured and Kirishima struggling with the effects of the Elixir, not to mention Aizawa-sanchou leaving in less than two days… there will be an urgent meeting without a doubt. So everyone should get to work and ready themselves for what's coming."

Denki managed a grin. "You kept saying you weren't leader material, but you were pretty on point just now."

Kyouka muttered right back at him, "Just saying what you should have been saying, 'most senior leader in the room right now' Denki Kaminari…"

"Oi oi, I was getting there eventually, Jirou..!"

"Sure, sure…"

The pair headed off, bickering lightly but Deku couldn't help but detect an underlying fondness behind it. But as soon as Denki and Kyouka had left, a heavy tension weighed down upon the others once more. Hanta left as well to take care of Ochaco, and before Tsuyu made her way to Eijirou, her eyes fell upon Deku once more.

"Deku-chan… I'm sure you're wondering about this 'Elixir'," she got to the heart of Deku's questions right now and verbalised them, "… I'll make a demand that you be told about it. Todoroki-kumichou and the others have hesitated for far too long."

With that, Tsuyu left, finally shutting the door behind her.

While Kyouka was speaking with the others, Shuzenji-sensei knelt down at Fumikage's side. She reached into her bag to get the medicine and tools she needed in order to get to work. Deku was surprised to see a woman as old as she appeared to be, but he observed her as she worked, listening to the others as he did so. She spoke gently with Tokoyami, checking him over in a professional manner.

When Denki, Kyouka, Hanta and Tsuyu finally left, Deku's job was to assist Shuzenji-sensei. He knew deep in his heart that he must have watched Hisashi work with medicine like this, and that Inko assisted him the way he was assisting Shuzenji now. No matter how hard Deku tried, his mind would not grant him with the clear memory.

That wasn't what was important though.

Right now, Fumikage is more important. Eventually Shuzenji-sensei turned to Deku and her expression said plenty.

"What is it..?" Deku enquired, though he feared what she might have to say.

Shuzenji-sensei didn't answer him, turning back to Fumikage. "Tokoyami-dono, your wounds have been tended to. I will be giving you some medicine and my orders are absolute – you must focus on making a full recovery. Do not resume any duties that contain risk of physical harm. I want you to rest. The medicine I am giving you will help with that."

Fumikage stared up at the ceiling, already in a daze. He would be told these words over and over, but there is only one thing that was on his mind. "Will I be able to handle my blade ever again?"

The doctor closed her eyes, her tone solemn. "I am sorry, Tokoyami-dono. With these injuries, you will never be able to wield a katana ever again."

Deku could feel her words tear Fumikage up more than any enemy sword ever would. But not even Deku could imagine the severity of the impact these words would have on the Fifth Division Captain.

Everything Fumikage worked towards, everything he trained and studied and sweated and stressed over, all that he had achieved… it had all been snatched from him in the darkness of the night.

He would never forgive this.

 **...**

 **Early May 11, 1864.**

Katsuki was pacing the corridors of the Yoikusa Headquarters, having finished his duty for the night. It was the hour of the tiger and the streets of Kyoto had been swept up of fakes. Prisoners were taken for interrogation in a few hours, the injured were taken care of. As he was making his way to check on his vice-captain, he saw Deku out in the courtyard speaking to Tenya. Katsuki had already heard about Fumikage as soon as he got back with Mezo and others. Mezo had already rushed to his captain's side and hasn't left since. But there was something about this scene that just wasn't right.

"I just wish I could have done more," Deku admitted, not even looking his companion in the eye. "Even if I couldn't have changed the results, I wish I had something better to say."

Tenya shook his head. "You did all that you could. In fact, the idea to use your blood was very innovative. I am certain Tokoyami-dono is grateful for that." His voice was assuring, but Katsuki could see the look in his fellow captain's eyes. This was a grave situation for everyone involved, but none were facing it worse than Fumikage.

"Oi, Glasses," Katsuki strode towards the pair, who didn't even have the heart to react to his approach. "Where's Round Face? I was expecting her to be with you two like usual." The pair exchanged glances, hesitant to answer. "Where is she?" he asked again, his tone harsher.

"She's resting!" Deku answered immediately at that second prompting. "It's best if you leave her be, she really needs it..!"

"Bakugou-dono," Tenya cut in, seeing that Katsuki was planning to march on over to her anyway. "She was injured tonight as well. Not as severely, but Sero-kun told us she was asleep. Please wait until later in the morning to see her."

Katsuki made a 'hmph' noise in response. "I won't wake her then. I just need to see that she's fucking okay. Got a damn problem with that?" Nobody dared argue with that. "Good. I'm checking on her."

Aside from further emphasis on not waking her up, Katsuki received no further complaints or answers to that. He made a beeline for Ochaco's room. Hearing that she was injured wasn't what bothered him. It was the idea that she got injured in a way that required the attention of others. If it was one thing that Katsuki couldn't help but envy about demons, it was their powers of restoration. They didn't get sick easily, nor did they take long to recover from injuries, internal or external.

Whoever did this to his vice-captain was going to pay. Too bad Hanta had already retired for the night, or Katsuki was seriously going to have words about what happened. Eijirou was with Tsuyu sorting out the members of their division, and even Katsuki knew not to get in the middle of that.

He reached the door to Ochaco's room and very carefully slid it open, making sure not to wake her. Soon enough he realised that didn't even matter. Ochaco was lying on her side on her futon, back to the door. He could see that she wasn't leaning on her wounded side, noticing the exposed skin of her arm, her upper back, and then the bandages that covered her shoulder, nearing her neck. Normally it wasn't appropriate for a man to see a woman like this, but such thoughts didn't even cross Katsuki's mind.

What he saw was that his vice-captain was injured. What he heard was her soft sobs muffled into her pillow.

She definitely wasn't asleep.

"Uraraka," Katsuki began, not really thinking first. With a sharp gasp, she turned, pulling up her blankets to try and conceal herself. It was only then that he realised that the others were probably right – he shouldn't have come here. "… Shit, look, I just wanted to see that you were okay."

"I-I'm fine..!" Ochaco spluttered, though she flinched a bit as her movements caused her shoulder to hurt some more. "I-I will be, I've been told to rest and um, rest I shall! Good work captain, I will chat tomorrow..!" She let out a sheepish laughter, making light of her situation.

Katsuki wasn't having a bar of it, already stomping over to her bedside after slamming her door shut. He sat himself down on the tatami mat by her futon and scowled. "I already saw that you weren't okay. Don't be a fucking idiot. Tell me what happened."

Ochaco looked away, avoiding his piercing eyes. "Promise me you won't yell… not at me or anybody. Please…"

"I don't fucking yell over shit—" Ochaco threw him a withering look and he backed down. "Look, I promise I won't yell. As your captain, it's my job to look out for you," Katsuki insisted. It was clear he wasn't going to leave until he got some answers.

She fidgeted a little before lowering her blankets. Moonlight seeped through the window and into the room and it exposed her pearly skin against red stained bandages. "You were told about my escorting Tokoyami-kun back to headquarters, didn't you?" she asked, trying to figure out where to begin with her story. Katsuki nodded. "Well… By the time I managed to get Tokoyami-kun back to headquarters… Kirishima-kun couldn't take it anymore. The smell of blood was overwhelming him. He wasn't himself in that moment. I knew I had to stop him from reaching Tokoyami-kun, so while the others tended to him, I held him in place. The… the only thing that returned Kirishima-kun to normal was him drinking my blood. But I don't blame Kirishima-kun, so please don't blame him either..!"

"I don't."

Such a quick response shut Ochaco down immediately. Anxiously, Ochaco darted her eyes to her captain. Katsuki's expression was unreadable. He didn't say anything else, but he leaned over her to try get a closer look at her wound. Reaching to her, a calloused hand brushed hazel locks of hair from Ochaco's neck. She shivered slightly. He wanted to see the wound beneath the dressings. His eyes met hers, silently asking for permission. She drew in a breath and nodded.

With such gentle hands that Ochaco couldn't believe it was really him, Katsuki loosened the knot holding the bandages in place and pushed them aside. He was so close, Ochaco could feel warm breath against her skin. It was embarrassing, but she knew what he was doing.

Katsuki wanted to see the wounds that Eijirou had inflicted, though unintentional. His cold expression hardened upon seeing bite marks that would probably leave scars. She wasn't bleeding anymore – in fact it looked for the most part healed if judged on a superficial level. However, Katsuki was a warrior and he knew that Eijirou wasn't breaking into the flesh on a shallow level. A chunk of flesh must have been taken at the very least. The only thing that ensured Ochaco's recovery was the fact she was a demon, and the fact that Eijirou was already capable of such a thing…

He couldn't put it into words.

Ochaco placed a cool hand over Katsuki's, which was resting hotly against her arm, a fistful of bandages between his rough skin and her own. "I'm sorry, Bakugou-kumichou. I should have handled the situation better. The only thing I was really thinking about was keeping Tokoyami-kumichou safe."

His red eyes were so intense that she couldn't even look at him. Katsuki spoke, but his voice was so restrained as he held to the promise he made earlier. "What happened… wasn't your goddamn fault. I'm not angry at you, damn it. And I know everyone thinks I'm going to go murder that damn Shitty Hair's ass for what he did to you. I fucking hate what he did to you but I don't hate him. I've never hated him..!"

"… Bakugou-kun, you… you just want to be able to help Kirishima-kun more, don't you?" Ochaco enquired. He didn't know how, but Ochaco was pretty amazing at understanding others. It was a skill he honestly wished he had. Then he could do exactly what Ochaco was saying – help Eijirou more. She squeezed his hand gently. "I know you didn't want him to be in the position he is now. You wished it was the other way around…"

They locked eyes with one another. Ochaco's expression was gentle and reassuring and he didn't feel worthy of it. Katsuki didn't say a word as he carefully retied her bandages back into place, slipping his hand away from hers. It wasn't that she said anything wrong. In fact, he hated that she spoke nothing but the truth.

"I fucking hate that Elixir…" was all he could say at first, pushing himself back onto his feet. "Just… don't ever let yourself be fake demon chow again, got it? If Kirishima or any other fucker in his division is out for blood, they sure as hell won't be getting it from you or anyone in our division. No exceptions."

 **...**

 **May 11, 1864.**

It was just after midday when Deku found himself summoned to Shouto's office. Tsuyu had accompanied him there. All he knew in advance was that the interrogations had taken place already, and that all the highest ranking members of the Yoikusa had a very intense meeting. Deku wasn't given the details yet, but he supposed that he was about to receive them now.

Shouto's office had a very quaint atmosphere. It was well kept, organised and had a flowery fragrance from the sticks of incense burning in a crane ornamental holder. There were ornamental katanas and decorative scroll paintings on the walls along with shelves of books – most appeared to be about military strategies, demon research and haiku poetry. Deku had been in here a few times now, but this was the first time going in for such a serious meeting.

The events of last night weighed heavily in their minds, but they couldn't not bring it up.

"Deku, Asui-san, please take a seat," Shouto told them, taking a seat at his desk. His desk was perhaps the only cluttered space in the office. It was obvious that he had been writing reports instead of resting, which worried Deku a lot. "Asui-san requested that we have this meeting and to be frank, I agree with her."

Tsuyu rested a finger against her bottom lip. "Todoroki-chan, you didn't want to have this meeting… but I am glad you see the logic in having it regardless."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing back to her. "Deku, I know you have heard about the Elixir. It's known also as the Ochimizu – Water of Life. Those who drink it are blessed with a mysterious power of some kind, along with regeneration powers just like a demon's. They become stronger, faster and have a higher immune system to most things. To an ordinary human, the concept is a very attractive one."

Deku's hands were resting on his lap as he sat on a cushion beside Tsuyu. His fingers clenched into the fabric of his clothing. "But it comes with terrible side effects, doesn't it..?"

Shouto nodded. "With the Ochimizu, the drinker becomes a fearsome warrior, but it also makes them lose all forms of reason. It can turn one insane and even worse, develop a bloodlust."

Such words gave Deku dark memories. Those warriors he met the night he arrived in Kyoto must have drank the Ochimizu. The ronin who attacked Fumikage must have consumed it as well. As for Eijirou… he didn't even want to think about it.

"Before the side effects became common knowledge to the Yoikusa, the Bakufu had commissioned us to produce Ochimizu and to test it on the lowest ranked members of our group," Shouto explained bitterly, hatred seeping into his tone and flooding him with a frustration that couldn't be ignored. "The Fifth Division was set up to carry out experiments and production of the Ochimizu, while the Sixth Division provided the test subjects to be used. Back then, the captains were not Tokoyami and Kirishima and well… those divisions were actually the First and Second Divisions. The Bakufu wanted a secret demon army that could back up the Shinsengumi, even if it meant providing fakes among the genuine demons."

He paused, allowing Deku to process his words. Of course, the Ochimizu sounded brilliant to use against enemies of the Shogunate when the side effects weren't a known issue. Deku always fought the Yoikusa was set up to combat everything the Ochimizu was about, to rid Japan of these fakes and stop the spread of demon knowledge across the nation. To think that the foundation began with the Yoikusa… it was horrifying to imagine.

"Todoroki-fukuchou, you were hesitant to explain all this to me sooner. Why was that?" The question had to be asked, but Deku was prepared for the answer to break his heart.

Shouto closed his eyes, his expression grave. "The Captain of the Sixth Division, the one who went out there and offered up people to test the Ochimizu on… his name is Enji Todoroki – my father. He convinced the Bakufu to fund the whole project." This response already sent Deku's mind reeling, but he knew that it wasn't all. But Shouto was left having to clean up a mess that his father helped to create, and that wasn't fair at all. "The Captain of the Fifth Division, the one who was in charge of creating the Ochimizu…" Shouto's eyes met Deku's. "…It was Hisashi Midoriya."

Deku froze up in horror.

Not even Tsuyu's gentle hand on his shoulder was a source of comfort, he almost didn't notice it. His mind was rejecting the concept, but there was no way that Shouto would ever lie about something like this.

Seeing that Deku was unable to speak, Shouto continued. "While Hisashi Midoriya was studying western medicine, he met my father over there. They hatched together the idea of the Ochimizu… They saw an opportunity where demons could surpass human society and become something far greater than our nation could ever hope to be. It was these ambitions that saw your father exiled from your home village of Aldera, and it led to the exile of the Todoroki family as well. Also…" he looked like he wanted to say something else, but he just couldn't. It wasn't something he wished to discuss. "That was the reason I was so cautious of you, Deku, on the night we met. I feared you were the same kind of man your father is."

"I didn't know anything about my father," Deku finally replied, using every inch of his willpower not to burst into sobs of anguish. "I never knew why he was exiled, I didn't know what he got up to when he was in the west or any of that. All I knew was that once I was exiled for having the Phoenix Heart, my father was the only remaining connection I had left. I had to find him."

Shouto nodded. "When I realised that you had no idea of what was going with your father, I was conflicted. My first thought was that ignorance was bliss. I truly didn't want you to know of this horrible Elixir that he invented…"

"But it wasn't right," Tsuyu spat out bitterly. "If it's about his own father, Deku-chan had every right to know. It's not my place to speak of your reasons, but you held back information that Deku-chan needed to hear and it was selfish."

Deku looked horrified as he saw her strike a nerve with the recently appointed vice-commander of the Yoikusa. But he realised that she was backing him up this entire time. She had his back and he was grateful. It was her that insisted this meeting be had. They both knew it would be hard for Shouto to open up about it, but there was no way to move forward without this information out in the open for Deku to come to terms with.

Even more shocking was Shouto bowing his head in shame. "Please forgive me, Deku. Asui-san is right. Yagi-kyokuchou wanted me to be the one to tell you, because both our fathers played a part in this… but a part of me didn't want you to hate your father the way I hate mine. You have every right to hate me for keeping all this from you."

After a few moments of silence, Deku exhaled. He would cry later. For now, he realised what it was that Shouto wanted from him. "I don't hate you. If anything, this information proves I should be here. I belong with the Yoikusa."

"Deku…" Shouto breathed out unsurely.

"It hurts, it really hurts. I'm disgusted," admitted Deku, his voice painful to hear. "I want to believe that my father is a good person… knowing all this makes it even more important that I find him. I want to hear his side. I'm not looking for excuses, I swear. I just want to know who my father really is – I need to know. Todoroki-fukuchou, our fathers created something that could change Japan forever. If it really is up to us to save Japan from the Ochimizu, then I accept it. So please, don't hide anything from me. I'm your subordinate, but I want us to be friends as well. You don't have to suffer the pain our fathers brought upon you on your own anymore."

Tsuyu smiled a little. She wondered what Deku would do once he knew the truth, whether he'd break down and fall into despair. Perhaps that might come later, she wasn't sure. But for now, she saw a resolve only strengthened and kindness that shone through above all.

Deku had no idea of the feelings he instilled in the two that sat with him as he gave his response. It was small, even fleeting perhaps, but true.

"…I understand, Deku," Shouto replied in a small voice, "but I haven't finished. If we're to move forward, you need to know this as well… Asui-san, can you leave us? Please."

"Certainly," she nodded, getting up and leaving the pair alone together.

There was another long silence between the young men as they waited for Tsuyu's footsteps to fade and the only sounds to be the chirping birds of the outdoors.

"What is it?" Deku asked, wondering if there was anything more that could shake him. He learned so much already in this meeting. Shouto was hesitant to answer. "You know… being told of the Ochimizu made me realise why something seemed off about Kirishima-san. I could sense who were demons and who weren't demons. Kirishima-san I always knew to be human but… he didn't feel entirely human anymore… but he didn't feel entirely like he was demonkind either. That's because of the Ochimizu, isn't it..?"

Shouto nodded. "That's right. Kirishima-kumichou volunteered to be a test subject and manage the other test subjects that we were left with. He only started that role back in March this year."

Deku frowned. "Kacchan really doesn't like it, does he?"

"He begged Yagi-kyokuchou not to let Bakugou take the Ochimizu, saying that Bakugou is the Sword of the Yoikusa."

"… He probably knew what may happen if Kacchan took it," Deku sighed. "If the Ochimizu causes insanity and bloodlust, I don't think Kacchan would be able to suppress it."

"That's true – for volunteer test subjects of the Ochimizu, we have a very strict process to decide who is capable of handling it… even then we can't be certain how well the subject will respond," explained Shouto. "Truthfully, Kirishima-kumichou isn't the only volunteer among the captains… The very first volunteer, and the most successful volunteer of all… it's Yagi-kyokuchou."

"What?"

"And Deku," Shouto interrupted, before the other could question it any further. "There's one more thing. You can't tell anyone else."

Deku bit his lip. He was already taking in so much, but he saw the desperation in Shouto's eyes. Like his entire being was weighed down with something beyond all the chaos and tragedy he'd already stumbled into. No, there was a reason Shouto was obligated to undo all the damage that had been done. A reason greater than the simple fact that he was the son of Enji Todoroki.

"I swear I won't tell anyone," Deku promised. "What is said here stays here. I won't bring it up with anyone else."

Shouto inhaled a breath before confessing the closest secret to this heart. He knew that once it was out in the open, there would be no going back. But what their fathers have done already sealed the fates of their sons. They were pulled into this, whether they liked it or not.

For once in his life, Shouto had the opportunity to obtain what he'd been looking for all these years. A friend, someone who could understand his position better than anyone else. In Deku's dark emerald eyes, Shouto saw someone burdened with so much pain who strived to do his very best no matter the circumstance. He wanted to be that person.

Deku wasn't Hisashi Midoriya.

Shouto wasn't Enji Todoroki.

And out there somewhere, their fathers were expanding upon the experiments that had begun with the Yoikusa.

"Deku… The first volunteer subject wasn't the first test subject," Shouto told him, his chest tightening with his anxious heart. But then that restrained stress erupted and years of frustration spilled from his lips, unable to hold back anymore. His clenched fist hammered down on the wooden surface of his desk, and it made Deku jump in his seat. Small icicles crystalised around Shouto's hand but he didn't seem to notice nor care. "I was the first test subject. From the first batch of the Ochimizu ever created by Hisashi Midoriya, there were four test subjects offered up by my father. He offered up his own children, and I'm the only one still here. I'm half demon and half Ochimizu subject."

In that moment, Deku felt the world shatter upon Shouto's anguish.

* * *

 **next chapter: Katsuki revisits the events of March 1864, unable to forgive himself for what Eijirou is going through. Shouto visits his wife and receives news that may change everything. Others try to take matters into their own hands.**


	5. chapter four: a selfless love

**this chapter is mostly angst, then fluff then... bruh. Anyway it flowed to me really easily. I'm such a multishipper though, this chapter really reminded me of that, lmfao**

 **anyway, thanks again for reading my fanfic. If you have anything to say about it, lemme know!  
**

* * *

 **chapter four: a selfless love.**

 **March 1, 1864.**

Katsuki cursed loudly as he sank his blade into the chest of his final opponent. He watched as the other man's eyes stopped darting about, pupils dilated with the madness. In those last few seconds before Katsuki pulled his katana back, he swore he caught a glimpse of humanity return to the young man's eyes before he dropped to the ground, a lifeless form.

But this young man was one of at least seven. Judging from their attire, they were all members of the same dojo. He guessed they were all even younger than he was.

"This fucking elixir… All it's doing is ending lives before they really get started," Katsuki muttered bitterly, heard only by his vice captain Ochaco Uraraka.

All she could do was watch the torment in her captain's expression as he resisted the urge to vent his rage any further. He hated this continuous spiral of events that transpired ever since Hisashi Midoriya and Enji Todoroki abandoned the Yoikusa. More and more cases of people losing their sanity to the Ochimizu were popping up around Kyoto and the surrounding regions. They were becoming increasingly difficult to manage and the Yoikusa were losing too many men trying to deal with them.

Just two months ago, Tenya's vice captain Mashirao Ojiro was slaughtered by an ambush of those Ochimizu drugged ronin. Katsuki would never forget the expressions on Tenya and Ochaco's faces when they returned from giving Mashirao's wife the news of his death. A week later, the wife suffered a miscarriage.

She was supposed to have given birth to twin boys.

Three weeks after that, Toru Ojiro disappeared. Nobody has heard from her since. Ochaco kept petitioning for a search to be carried out, but with everything that's been happening, her dear friend simply wasn't a priority to the military police. Katsuki wasn't close with Mashirao, let alone his wife, but watching his vice captain was agonising.

Something had to be done to stop this series of tragedies. It's going to become impossible to cover up at this rate.

Aizawa-souchou made a suggestion just over a week ago, bearing in mind everything that had been happening. He noted the progression Fumikage's Division was making as well as Eijirou's ability to keep up the morale of the test subjects that were abandoned by their maker. However, the reality was that there weren't enough soldiers who could face the ongoing threat.

It was an awful suggestion, but Katsuki supposed that someone had to bring it up. Somehow it was always Aizawa who was left to play the role of the bad guy. All he stated was that only demons stood a chance against these fakes, and he was met with riots and protests. They all knew what Aizawa meant.

To fight these fake demons, they needed demons. Unfortunately they were in short supply of demons.

The experiments had to continue, especially with the current subjects needing vast improvements in their mental and physical health. At least a third had to be put down because they fully lost their minds with no return. That being said, the remainder had the power to cut through the enemies with ease, even those who were under the influence of Ochimizu. Not even Katsuki could say that about his own men, as much as it frustrated him.

Aizawa's plan was to introduce a higher calibre of test subjects – volunteers who met the criteria. The volunteer had to be a strong samurai with a clear sense of identity, solid mental stability, great willpower and determination, the type to resist desirable temptations and most importantly, be able to report back honestly to superiors.

Nobody liked the idea. Not even Aizawa.

The only captains who truly backed up the commander were Fumikage and Mezo, especially as this would be highly beneficial to their research. Their morbid dedication creeped out even the likes of Katsuki, not that he would vocalise it.

It was near the end of the ox hour when Katsuki and Ochaco marched the remaining troops of their division back to headquarters. Eijirou and Tsuyu joined up with them a block away from the destination. The ratio of Eijirou's division of test subjects to Katsuki's regular samurai was at least 4:1.

"Man, that was a crazy night! I thought it was never going to end!" Eijirou spoke, trying to pump some energy into his tired companions. "But we managed to stop so many ronin – Aoyama gave us a huge tip because his establishment was nearly at risk and all. Heheh, Sero and Kaminari are going to be really jealous!"

Tsuyu lightly tapped Ochaco's arm. "We could go for tea and mochi on our next day off, kero."

"Oh!" Ochaco's face lit up, but both Tsuyu and Katsuki knew the poor girl was forcing that smile. Not even the promise of mochi was enough to improve her mood, though it was a good start. "Let's do that, Tsu-chan!"

Eijirou turned to Katsuki. "We could get a ton of meat and cook it up, have some sake, watch Kaminari get turned down by all the women in Shimabara…"

Katsuki shook his head. "I'm not in the mood for any of that," he responded, his voice raw and seething.

"Uh… okay. I mean, we could always do something else with the money, uh…" Eijirou was scrambling a bit, trying to find something, anything to boost his friend's mood.

"I don't want anything, okay?!" Katsuki snapped, "I don't want stupid nights out with the guys getting wasted on some shitty alcohol while Droopy fucks it up with some woman, Sero suggests a dumbass drinking game, you overdo it with eating so much shit we're emptying our fucking coinbags just to cover you and at the end of the night I vomit a fucking river because I always have to win at the goddamn game! I don't want to do any of that shit! Not while we lose soldiers every damn day because some fuckers wanted to slip some shitty elixir into the systems of some morons! Nobody gets enough sleep anymore, nobody is eating some goddamn healthy balanced diet anymore except fucking Glasses because he's some kind of nutcase and all you guys wanna do is slack off and have fun! Fuck this, I don't want a part in any of it. I've got to change something about all this, seeing as none of you shitbrains are doing anything..!"

After that long outburst, Katsuki went storming on ahead of everyone so he could walk alone back to Yoikusa Headquarters. Nobody dared to catch up to him, not when he was like this. Ochaco knew that Katsuki's anger was building up for a while now. Normally Katsuki could actually be persuaded to tag along with the other guys on their wild nights out. According to the others, Katsuki would genuinely enjoy himself, even with all the antics the guys got up to. Goodness, Ochaco had heard that Katsuki was the most feared brawler in Shimabara – and she could certainly believe that about him.

Ochaco was sympathetic. "Sorry, Kirishima-kun… it hasn't been a great night for us. Maybe some other time."

Eijirou looked extremely dejected. He was used to Katsuki firing off at others, but not at him. Whenever it happened, Eijirou's world seemed to fall apart at the seams instantly. He didn't want to fight with Katsuki. All Eijirou wanted to do was keep up morale – he felt it was okay to let loose every now and again, even when work wasn't great right now. Katsuki took his job very seriously, but even he understood that breaks were important too.

"No, no, I should be the one apologising – Bakugou's right…" Eijirou sighed.

Tsuyu pressed a finger to her lip. "He may be right, but it was still wrong to lash out at you, Kirishima-chan."

Even Eijirou couldn't argue with that. Katsuki was never the best at expressing himself eloquently, even though he was brilliant at always getting his points across. It was just one of the many things he loves about his best friend.

Love…

The red haired man bit his lip. He wondered what Katsuki meant when he said he was going to do something about their situation, make changes. As he and the two girls led the members of second and sixth division back to Headquarters, Eijirou tried to make sense of Katsuki's words.

It wasn't until they passed through the gate into the headquarters of the Yoikusa that he understood.

"Sorry, Tsu, Uraraka – can you finish up? I've got to see Aizawa-souchou right now..!" Eijirou blurted out before sprinting towards Aizawa's office. It didn't take him long to find it and of course, he heard Katsuki speaking to their superior in there. While Eijirou wanted to listen in, he was too noisy in his approach – the pair had already paused their conversation. "Aizawa-souchou, it's me, Kirishima. Can I come in?"

While Katsuki was immediate to say no, Aizawa-souchou already got up and slid the door aside. "Get in here. And Bakugou, don't you go anywhere either, just because I've let Kirishima in."

Katsuki looked extremely sulky, shutting up until Eijirou had sat himself down, Aizawa had closed the doors and all was settled for the conversation to resume.

"As I was saying, we need to get a mass-recruit going if we're to produce an army that can fight the threats," Katsuki explained, at least updating Eijirou on what he'd been discussing with Aizawa. "The current state of the Yoikusa isn't fucking good enough. It's not that our warriors are shit, it's just… what we're facing is better. I fucking hate it. We're going to lose everyone at this rate."

Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "You're here because you want to volunteer yourself. Is that right, Bakugou?" Katsuki nodded.

It was a punch to the gut for Eijirou to hear this and have Katsuki outright confirm Aizawa's suspicions.

"This isn't me being fucking rash though, okay?" Katsuki clarified, "I've been thinking about it for weeks now. Any idiot with common sense wouldn't sign up for this – but if a captain of the Yoikusa led the way, then we'd have a better chance of takers."

"You think our men would follow your lead?" Aizawa quirked a brow. He didn't sound convinced.

Katsuki snarled his response. "I'm doing this for Yagi-kyokuchou. If anyone else gives a damn about him, or the Yoikusa, or the shogunate, or the state of our nation, they'd follow me. If no one does anything, then what's the point of the Yoikusa? Why do we even exist? Ojiro's death is on our fucking hands, so avenging him and putting an end to the enemy's plans is the least we could do for him. Even if it means sinking to their level, we've got to counter this threat. I'll do anything!"

Nobody could doubt Katsuki's intentions nor his determination. The frustrations that fuelled his words would surely resonate with a lot of the samurai in the Yoikusa. Katsuki was willing to lead the charge if it meant the Yoikusa could get out of this mess and save Japan.

Eijirou's pointed teeth drew a tiny spot of blood from his bottom lip. Who could get in the way of Katsuki when he was like this? He desperately wanted to speak up, say anything to determine Katsuki from volunteering to drink the elixir. But what could he say? All Katsuki wanted was to put an end to the madness, even if it meant sacrificing his own humanity.

He didn't want that.

For several years, Eijirou had trained with Katsuki. They sparred together, ate together, drank together, laughed together, fought together, suffered together, endured together and so much more. Eijirou loved those days with all his heart. The most precious memories he stored over time all seemed to involve Katsuki.

If Katsuki drank the Ochimizu, he'd been throwing it all away.

"Kirishima, you're shaking your head," Aizawa's voice cut into his thoughts and Eijirou looked up to see Katsuki's warning glare. "You followed Bakugou here for a reason, didn't you?"

Eijirou gulped, but he knew he had to speak out. "Yeah. I want to support Bakugou's idea and all but… not if Bakugou is the captain who drinks the Ochimizu. I'll do it."

"What?!" Katsuki cried out, reaching for Eijirou's collar and yanking him closer. "Don't fucking undermine me! I've already resolved to do it, so don't get in my way!"

"You're always saying that the Ochimizu cuts off lives too soon! If you drink it, then you're the one throwing away your life!" Eijirou protested, reaching a hand to his friend's collar also. Yanking him forward, Katsuki's forehead pressed against his own, Eijirou hoped he could convey his own thoughts and not be ignored or dismissed. "I'm not letting you drink it, Bakugou!"

Katsuki remained in place, eyes locked with Eijirou's but he was trembling with thunderous rage. "So you're gonna drink it then? You're gonna throw your fucking life away just so I don't drink it – no, that's fucked up! That's a shitty resolve!"

"I have more experience than you do!" Eijirou pointed out through gritted teeth. "Dealing with patients day in and day out? Only two divisions know what that's like and it's not your—" Katsuki's fist cracked into his jaw, causing Eijirou's face to slam against the tatami.

"Then why didn't you volunteer sooner?! If you were witnessing it all firsthand, why didn't you do a damn thing about it before?!" Katsuki fired back, still collapsing forward to cling to the fabric of Eijirou's collar. Despite his words, Katsuki knew Eijirou did anything and everything he could for his men. He was the sole reason they were still fighting to cling to their humanity. His presence gave them hope, a light in the darkness. "Why the fuck is it okay for you to drink it and not me?"

"Because you're the sword of the Yoikusa..!" Eijirou cried out, leaning up to meet Katsuki's eyes. "A sword that endures, a sword that never fails… and a sword that never breaks. If you succumb to the madness, that's it. Our greatest weapon is gone. What good are you to Yagi-kyokuchou if your life ends before it really gets started?!"

His answer cut Katsuki deep, causing him to loosen his grip and pull away. Eijirou thought Katsuki might hit him again, and he clenched his jaw to prepare for it. He was met with nothing. Slowly, Katsuki rose to his feet and turned his scowl to Aizawa.

"Aizawa-souchou, whatever you do, don't give this bastard any elixir… If you do, I'll never forgive you!" And with that, Katsuki stomped out of the room. The wood of the door frame cracked as it slammed shut behind him.

Aizawa sighed. "The reality is… we have a criteria that has to be considered. I can't just hand over Ochimizu just because someone says so."

Eijirou reached up to his reddened cheek where Katsuki had hit him. "I kinda expected you to break up our fight."

"I was planning to if it escalated any further," the dark haired commander admitted, "but I needed to hear both your cases. Having you scream at each other gave me some information to work with. That being said, if I catch you two attacking each other again, I'll wipe the floor with both of you."

Anyone with common sense knew that Aizawa certainly wasn't kidding about this threat. Nor was he kidding about wanting to hear both sides.

"Please… Aizawa-souchou, I'm begging you…" Eijirou adjusted so that he was kneeling, bowing his head as low as possible. "Don't let Bakugou have the Ochimizu. I know him better than anyone here… and I know that mentally he's unfit for it. I hate saying that, I do. He's a valid candidate and all, but I just don't want him to fall to the bloodlust."

Aizawa made a 'hmmm' noise as he considered Eijirou's words. "… I'll let you apply as a potential candidate, but I have to let Bakugou apply too. In the end, it's up to Yagi-kyokuchou to decide." Eijirou's face fell, but he remained in his position to avoid Aizawa seeing his unmanly expression. "If you want to save Bakugou, then you've got to prove yourself. Only then will I give you a recommendation. I can deal with Bakugou if he lashes out."

Eijirou sounded like he might cry. "Thanks, Aizawa-souchou. I… I'll do my best!"

After some more discussion, Eijirou retired for the night to get some rest. Aizawa wasn't blind to Eijirou's true intentions though. He saw it in the young man's eyes every time his gaze fell upon the difficult Second Division Captain. It was clear tonight with the way Eijirou spoke, the way he chose to fight with his words instead of his fists, his panic and desperation.

Aizawa knew he wasn't wrong with his deduction. Those eyes he'd seen between man and woman, husband and wife. He'd seen such a look reflected back at him. But this look Eijirou had, it wasn't being reciprocated.

It only made Aizawa feel worse about the whole situation.

The Katsuki Bakugou of now could never comprehend how much his best friend was fighting for him, and the reasons why.

This kind of feeling and this kind of understanding… never could be forced. Either Katsuki would learn, or he wouldn't learn.

Or maybe he would learn when it was already too late.

 **...**

 **March 31, 1864.**

"Bakugou… I'm sorry, you left me with no choice," Eijirou breathed out shakily. Katsuki's anxious expression broke his heart as his eyes darted between Eijirou's face and the small vial in hand. It took both Denki and Hanta to hold the Second Division Captain back, but he was wrestling against their hold with all his might. "Yagi-kyokuchou approved it, you know that."

Katsuki stamped his foot, unable to lash out the way he wanted to in his comrades' grasp. "Bullshit! Even if our goddamn superiors approved it, I don't! It can't be you, Kirishima."

None of them had ever seen Katsuki with such a pleading expression before.

Nobody knew how many strings Eijirou was pulling, doing everything he could to lower Katsuki's chances of selection while increasing his own chances. It wasn't until Yagi-kyokuchou's announcement that everyone learned of Eijirou's plan, and that it succeeded. Katsuki's shock matched nearly everyone else's. The only ones who were aware aside from Eijirou and Yagi-kyokuchou were Aizawa, Fumikage, Mezo and Eijirou's vice captain Tsuyu.

Everyone else never saw this coming. All knew that Katsuki wanted to be the chosen candidate. The most recently appointed captain Hitoshi Shinsou put his name up for consideration as well. Katsuki just assumed Eijirou had given up on the idea.

"Bakugou, I'm the Captain of the Sixth Division. I manage test subjects every day, you know," explained Eijirou, "so it makes sense, right?"

"I don't care about that!" Katsuki cried out, his voice laced with raw anguish and fury. "You're my best friend! You have dreams of opening your own dojo someday. Everytime you mentioned that stupid dojo to me growing up, your face always brightened and you'd get all excited and giddy. If you take the Ochimizu, you might not live long enough to make that happen."

Eijirou smiled, a part of him happy that Katsuki cared so much about his dream. But it simply wasn't enough. "If you took the Ochimizu, you might not live long enough to even visit my dojo, you know?" He sighed, lifting the vial to pull the cork sealing up the liquid. "But I don't think that dojo's going to exist, Bakugou. I had a bigger dream than the dojo… but man, everything just got in the way! Well, not quite. You just didn't want it."

Katsuki bit his lip as he listened to his best friend speak. What the hell was Eijirou talking about? All Katsuki ever heard about in regards to Eijirou's dreams were things like the dojo, becoming a stronger samurai, protecting the shogunate, those kinds of ambitions.

"What was it that I didn't want?"

"I didn't want to set up the dojo if I didn't have you at my side. But now it's come down to this… if you won't back down from the Ochimizu, neither will I. So my dream… is to ensure your future at least... Katsuki."

Denki and Hanta exchanged glances. They didn't realise just how deep those feelings ran from Eijirou to Katsuki. If they had any doubts before, they didn't now. But it made this moment all the more crucial.

For the first time, Eijirou saw tears form in Katsuki's desperate eyes. He realised that his feelings were conveyed to Katsuki, but they weren't received with positivity. Of course not. How could Katsuki accept this?

He was shaking his head, over and over, thrashing against Denki and Hanta's grasp. "No!" he yelled out in agony. "I won't take the damn Ochimizu then! We'll both live somehow, and we can set up that dojo after we retire from the Yoikusa! Fuck, Kirishima – just stop! Fucking stop, you made your point! Don't be a fucking idiot! You can't throw your life away, all these dumbasses in the damn Yoikusa love you too much..!"

Katsuki's eyes met Eijirou's own, and the unspoken truth hung in the air. It didn't matter how many friends or family or comrades loved Eijirou… all Eijirou needed was Katsuki, but Katsuki wasn't able to provide for him in the way he wanted.

Eijirou downed the contents of the vial, and neither he nor Katsuki would ever be the same again.

The only thing that stopped Katsuki from escaping and rushing to his best friend's side was a sudden electric surge through his body. He collapsed to the floor unconscious. Eijirou followed soon after.

 **...**

 **May 21, 1864.**

"Huh, so Yagi-kyokuchou's gone to check out the opening of that new Naval Academy… and you're off to see your wife? Man, everyone's ditching for the day and having fun without me!" Eijirou complained, but his tone was light hearted. Since the events of just over ten days ago, he really was pushing the chipper button. "Are you taking Deku along?"

It was a brand new morning in the headquarters of the Yoikusa. Aizawa had departed Kyoto to join Hizashi Yamada in thwarting the Mito Rebellion that had kicked off recently. It was a threat to the shogunate, everyone could acknowledge that, but Shouto knew that the desire to see his lover was what drove Aizawa over there. He hadn't really considered it before, a love between men, but the concept left him indifferent.

Watching Eijirou struggle with it was exhausting enough. Well, Kyouka mentioned it and she was observant, so Shouto assumed it was the truth.

Still, Shouto felt for Eijirou. The red head didn't know he had a kindred spirit in his vice commander, someone who actually knew the pain of being afflicted with the Ochimizu. Shouto couldn't bring himself to admit it. Even mentioning it to Deku was a big deal for him. He was surprised at himself that he brought it up. Something about Deku made Shouto want to be more honest, though he couldn't put a finger as to why that was.

Shouto blinked at Eijirou, before averting his eyes from him. "No, Deku wanted to help Tokoyami-kumichou. Only Jirou's coming with me."

Eijirou thought about it. "Hey uh, can I come with you guys? I'm… not feeling great staying at headquarters lately. Shouji doesn't want me anywhere near Tokoyami after what happened with Uraraka… and well… Bakugou's…" he wasn't sure if he wanted to finish that sentence. "Honestly, back at headquarters, the only friendly face while Third and Fourth are out is Tsu!"

"Hmmm… Alright," Shouto nodded, and Eijirou fistpumped the air. "The Yaoyorozu are interested to know how you're managing since you became a test subject of the Ochimizu."

"All anyone ever wants to chat about is that stuff," grumbled Eijirou, crestfallen at the mention of Ochimizu.

"Just act healthy and flex your muscles."

"Now that," Eijirou bounced right back again, "that I can do!"

 **...**

The trio consisting of Shouto, Eijirou and Kyouka took horses to head over to the Yaoyorozu Estate. Of the three, Eijirou was the only one who hadn't visited the place before. It was a while out of Kyoto, but eventually they reached luscious forest and heavy security. Kyouka could sense the eyes of the shinobi on them. She delved into her pouch and threw a shuriken star through thick branches, hitting the intended target. It was this target and her shuriken design that told the onlookers who was arriving.

Less eyes were on the group now. Eijirou jumped a bit at Kyouka's actions, but Shouto was used to it. In fact, he usually tried to guess how many shinobi were surrounding them on the pathway to the Yaoyorozu.

"Eight," Shouto spoke rather suddenly.

"Correct," Kyouka responded. "You've gotten better at this."

Eijirou on the other hand didn't understand what they were referring to. "Eight? Eight what?"

"Improve your senses and you'll see."

"Aw, c'mon Jirou! I'm a warrior, not a ninja!" Eijirou protested, though he was grinning wide.

Kyouka sighed a little. "You're just like Kaminari sometimes…"

As Eijirou questioned Kyouka on that, the trio came out into a clearing. The Yaoyorozu estate was like a fortified village. Gates were so tall that nobody could see into it, even if they climbed the highest trees surrounding the area. And when they reached the gate, a guard at the nearest post called out to them.

"Welcome back, Todoroki-sama, Jirou-san and...?" they didn't recognise Eijirou.

Shouto spoke up for him. "This is my companion and captain within the Yoikusa – Eijirou Kirishima. Treat him with the same respect as my other captains."

"Understood! I will let you in!"

With that, the gates were pulled to the side, allowing the three to enter the property. Once they dismounted their horses, servants came out to lead them to the stables. Eijirou gasped at what he saw. The Yaoyorozu estate was insanely huge. The land plot and the castle-like buildings were extensive and had fresh mountain springwater running through the area, fruits and vegetables could grow in abundance and the cherry blossoms were beautiful. Outside were younger members of the family training with a private kenjutsu instructor and young ladies were sitting underneath the blossoms enjoying some tea and dango.

One of the young ladies looked over at the three and immediately rose to her feet. "Shouto-san! Jirou-chan! Over here!" she waved them over.

This was the first time Eijirou had gotten to see Momo Yaoyorozu in person, not just in paintings. She was dressed in an elegant kimono with her hair pulled back into a fluffy high-ponytail, with a shrug of fur to give her extra warmth in the spring air.

He couldn't help but smile as the other two quickened their pace to join her. Eijirou was aware of Kyouka's close friendship with Momo, often speaking of her fondly. Even Shouto was a lot more at peace with himself in Momo's presence. He reached to take his wife's hands in his own, before cupping one to his cheek.

"I missed you," Shouto whispered softly, just enough for Momo to hear him.

"Me too…" Momo replied, stroking his cheek with her thumb gently.

Before Eijirou could comment at how lovey-dovey Shouto was being, he was distracted by a cry of delight.

"Kirishima! Is that you? Look what you've done with your hair!"

Eijirou turned to the source of the voice. It was none other than Itsuka Kendou, the wife of his good friend Tetsutetsu. Before he could even reply about his hair, Eijirou noticed something even bigger. Quite literally.

Itsuka was very clearly and heavily pregnant. She had a special chair brought out for her so she could sit and enjoy the cherry blossoms without having to lay down on the rug laid down for the picnic. It was strange seeing the spirited Itsuka like that – she met her husband training at the same dojo as him. Eijirou heard stories about Itsuka being groomed by her family to be a lady just like Momo, but the girl refused, wanting to get out there and help others as a samurai.

"Never mind me, you've changed a lot more!" Eijirou grinned widely.

Kyouka knelt down beside Itsuka, seeing as Momo and Shouto were off in their own world. "You seem to be doing well, Kendou-san. I know you will be a great mother… but when is that husband of yours going to join you?"

"He'll be here in a month's time, which should be just in time for the birth. He keeps sending me letters actually," Itsuka giggled. "He keeps suggesting all these baby names even though we don't know the gender…"

Eijirou sat down on the rug on the other side of Itsuka. "Well, Eijirou is a good manly name if you need some more ideas!"

"Momo-chan said the same about Shouto," Itsuka smiled, gentle laughter in her voice. "I think my baby will be a girl though… just a gut feeling. Mm, Ibara-chan was predicting I'd have a girl!"

"A girl, huh…" Eijirou mused the idea – he could definitely see Tetsutetsu going all soft and gooey over a baby girl, especially if she resembled the mother more. "What about uh… Katsura?"

Itsuka and Kyouka exchanged glances, the latter turning to smirk at Eijirou as the former responded. "I don't want to name my child after Bakugou-san, we're not that close…"

The reddening on Eijirou's cheeks was beginning to match his hair. "Hey c'mon, that's not what I was getting at…"

Momo turned her head, making sure Eijirou and Kyouka were content in keeping Itsuka company for now. She politely excused herself and Shouto so that they could walk together, speaking alone. Shouto offered her his arm and she took it with a shy smile. He escorted her further around the gardens, walking in a comfortable silence.

One thing that Shouto really enjoyed about the Yaoyorozu estate was how peaceful it was compared to the bustling streets of Kyoto. The air was cleaner and the general running of the estate wasn't a noisy affair compared to the compounds of the Yoikusa. Eventually the couple reached a more secluded area of the gardens, by a small pond of goldfish with trees shrouded around to give some privacy. There was a bench where the pair could take a seat.

Once they sat down, Shouto reached for Momo to press his lips softly to hers. It was a gentle and chaste kiss, but it filled Momo with the utmost joy. With Shouto being away doing his work for the Yoikusa, she didn't get to see him often, despite her family's funding.

He cupped her chin to raise her head as he tilted his head slightly for a second kiss. Each kiss was short and sweet, but the pair were at ease, happy in their own space.

"Shouto…" Momo breathed out as Shouto pulled back only an inch away. "Shouto, anata, I… I have some news to share."

He reached for her hands to lace their fingers together, his voice low but soothing as he spoke. "What is it?"

Momo gently took one of his hands and placed it over her stomach. Her eyes darted back and forth between Shouto's expression and his hand over her belly, watching as realisation dawned upon him.

Shouto didn't even realise the tears spilling from his cheeks, choking up inside. Keeping one hand against Momo's belly, he brought her other hand to his lips, kissing the tips of her fingers as the news settled in. She giggled a little, watching him with shining eyes.

"How… how long have you known..?" he asked with a voice so fragile, Momo thought he might break.

"My nurses believe I'm two months along," answered Momo, returning her hand to rest over Shouto's. "I was only really certain of it a couple weeks ago."

He leaned in to kiss her again, a long and emotional embrace. Shouto couldn't believe this blessing. He missed his siblings, he missed his mother… and he hated how broken the Todoroki family was. But Momo and the news of this baby felt like the answer to everything wrong in this world. Shouto wanted to oversee the next generation of Todoroki, he wanted to do what his father never could – be a good and loving parent. He wanted to be the father he never had.

Momo possessed intelligence and kindness, she was graceful and charitable, thoughtful and loving. Shouto already knew she would make a great mother. One of the first things Shouto was taught going into this arrangement was about the concept of children and starting a family.

There was only one thing that could potentially ruin everything for the pair though, something that immediately came to Shouto's mind despite all the happiness he was receiving from this wonderful news.

Pulling back from the kiss, Shouto leaned his forehead against Momo's. "My father must not be allowed access to our child. I don't want our child to ever meet him."

This was an issue Momo was aware of when she brought up her pregnancy. "No one will take our child away from us, anata…"

Shouto nodded ever so slightly, not breaking his gaze away from her. "I'll protect you both."

"I'll protect you both as well…"

A tiny smile graced Shouto's face. Momo always seemed to know what to say. In the early days of their marriage, neither knew how to communicate with one another, speak or do anything a husband and wife would do in terms of interaction. But now, every word, every gesture… it was so easy now.

"I know you will."

Even though this moment was a miracle, Shouto couldn't help it. As long as his father was out there, the threat to Shouto's family would always be looming over their heads.

And he would fight to the death to protect them if he had to.

Enji Todoroki would never be allowed to lay hands on their child.

 **...**

 **Later that night, May 21.**

Hitoshi's eyes flickered towards the intense leer of the Second Division Captain. He was well aware the man was out of his comfort zone. It was the night life of Shimabara and they, along with the insistent Denki, stood outside one of the major establishments in Shimabara belonging to a Yuga Aoyama. The man was flamboyant and showy and enjoyed his time in France way too much, but what he set up was an extremely popular establishment blending the influence of Japanese-French culture. It was near packed out every night.

Denki loved the atmosphere. It was thriving, all the people were in high spirits, whether it was the excitement of being here or the buzz of the sake getting to them, the mood was good.

But even Denki couldn't enjoy it in its full capacity.

"Oi oi, so… is Jirou really okay being a geiko in a place like this?" Denki worried, even though she'd pulled off the job several nights already.

Katsuki grumbled, quite fed up with Denki's near obsession about Kyouka having to dress as a geiko to help get intel. "Of course she fucking is, it's her job?"

Hitoshi sighed, not enjoying having these two for company. Katsuki's temper was irritating and Denki being Denki was flat out annoying to him. He wished these two hadn't followed him here. "Bakugou-kumichou, does Uraraka-san know that you're here?"

"In Shimabara? Yeah. She can handle tonight's patrol, but I'm here for a reason. Our group isn't getting anywhere the way we are right now," Katsuki explained with folded arms. "We need some fucking intel. You two need me."

"Gathering information isn't like your forceful interrogations. You can't just yell at people and threaten to kill them or their loved ones…" Hitoshi drawled, but Katsuki rolled his eyes claiming he knew that already. "Anyway. Kaminari-kumichou… go back to bed. You already did your day shift, right?"

"I wanted to help too!" Denki insisted, appalled that Hitoshi was being so quick at trying to get rid of him. "I'm good at getting people drunk, so they might spill secrets while they're at it! C'mon, I'll be great!"

Katsuki jerked a thumb in Denki's direction. "Droopy has a point… so long as he doesn't get fucking hammered as well, he could actually be some use."

"Wow Bakugou, that's the nicest thing you've ever said about me," snickered Denki.

"Don't push it."

Looking between the two, Hitoshi assessed their potential to help in tonight's mission. He hadn't considered such abrasive and out there people to do such a delicate task as extracting information from others, but quite frankly, Katsuki was right. The Yoikusa isn't getting anywhere right now. Maybe trying Katsuki and Denki out might point them in the right direction. Kyouka wasn't going to like this plan, but Hitoshi had other thoughts about this approach.

"Fine," Hitoshi agreed to it. "But only if you follow the instructions of people who actually know what they're doing. Follow my lead."

* * *

 **next chapter: The Shimabara Operation begins and may produce some interesting results. Fumikage struggles to cope with the consequences of his injuries and Deku learns a secret that may change the course of the Yoikusa forever.**


	6. chapter five: uncover

**tbh, just read/review/kudos, whatever. Enjoy the healthy dose of my OTP KamiJirou and all the other angst. Prepare to simultaneously love and hate me. A fan-favourite has a shit time, lol - I won't say anything more than that.**

* * *

 **chapter five: uncover.**

 **...**

 **Late night, May 21, 1864**

In the bustling district of Shimabara, the night was on fire. The drinking, the music, the people, the general ambience all buzzing with cheer while three young men took to the shadows. The vice-captain of the Third Division, Hitoshi Shinsou was leading in Katsuki and Denki around to the side entrance of 'Yuga of Versailles'. The allusion to the iconic castle from France was completely lost on the likes of Denki and many others frequenting the establishment.

Hitoshi led the other two into a room where staff changed clothing and handed them outfits that would make them less conspicuous. "Here, wear these and take on new identities. My name while we're here is Satoshi Honda and Kyouka goes by Junko Katou. Pick names."

Katsuki and Denki mulled over their new names for the night while they changed into their respective outfits. "Fuck, I don't know. Sakugou… Kanda?"

"Uhh… Kenji… Tanaka?" Denki shrugged, tying the knot on his belt. "This is just in case someone asks our names, right?"

"That's right," Hitoshi nodded as he went through some drawers. "I'm going to run some quick colouring through your hair – you're far too recogniseable still."

"Aha!" a joyous voice burst into the room, making way for the eccentric Yuga Aoyama. He was dressed top to toe like a westerner, heavy French influences in his lavish attire. "Bonjour, welcome to Versailles! I am the owner, Yuga Aoyama!" His shining blue eyes laid upon Hitoshi, who remained neutral in his expression. "Honda-san, you have brought new companions? Here here, let me bring out their true sparkle!"

In a hurried manner, Katsuki backed off to the opposite end of the room from Yuga. There was no way he was going to let this damn freak lay a finger on him. Denki on the other hand was keen to see what the owner would do. Yuga had always been strongly supportive of the Yoikusa's cause, having been allowing members to come in and do spying missions amongst the patrons.

Hitoshi clamped his hands on Katsuki's shoulders and began shoving him in Yuga's direction while the sparkling owner worked on fixing Denki's hair. Katsuki found out very quickly that he had to suck it up when it came to disguising himself.

Soon enough, all three boys were changed so they looked less like Yoikusa and more like a bunch of young men wanting to have drinks and a laugh in the red district after a hard day's work. Denki and Katsuki had dye worked into their hair that would wash out after some baths, with the former's tied into a short ponytail and Katsuki's combed down very tightly. Hitoshi's hair was pulled into a topknot style, which kept his wilder locks in place. Content with his work, Yuga fluttered on out again.

"Pffft..!" Denki was trying to hold back his laughter as he ogled Katsuki's hair. "Th-that's amazing… you look like your old man! Just… flatter!"

"Shut the fuck up, I do not!" Katsuki protested, though he did rush to a mirror just in case. He let out a yell of frustration. "I look like my old man, what the fuck?!"

Denki cackled even louder.

Hitoshi sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. Why on earth did he agree to take them on again? Oh that's right, they weren't getting anywhere and now he's so desperate he's willing to try just about any new idea.

The Fourth Division Captain's laughter echoed through the room, while the Second Division Captain yelled at him to keep his voice down. This was despite the fact that Katsuki had the louder voice of the two. Eventually their noises attracted a newcomer to the room.

"I thought I heard some familiar idiots…" a low, but feminine voice broke through the noise.

The three young men all turned to the source of the voice. Standing before them was a beautiful young geiko, with dark hair pulled into an elaborate braided bun adorned with floral hair ornaments. Her detailed kimono was a deep purple with a golden butterfly pattern, with lace trimmings on the sleeves. The geiko's face was painted with white make-up, red lipstick and eyes lined to look bigger and brighter.

Immediately after taking in her appearance, Katsuki and Hitoshi turned to Denki expectantly.

He was too busy gawking at the geiko to even say anything. Katsuki expected him to at least use a stupid pick-up line. Hitoshi just wondered if Denki even knew who he was looking at.

She reached a kimono sleeve towards her face, trying to conceal herself a bit. Her cheeks were heated slightly under his eyeballing. "Don't stare, Kaminari."

"Kyouka, you look AMAZING!" he rushed over to her, full of excitement. "Man, your kunoichi look is super cool, but you can pull off geiko too! Wow!"

His praise only made the poor girl hide her face even more. As a kunoichi, Kyouka was never used to standing out or being noticed for appearances. If anything, she was used to slipping under the radar. Denki putting the spotlight on her was embarrassing for her. "Th-thanks, I guess… there's more beautiful geiko out there tonight though…" her voice was mumbly and shy, until she realised something. "A-And don't call me that! I'm Katou-san."

Denki simply grinned. "Don't sell yourself short, 'Katou-chan'!"

Hitoshi cleared his throat, especially now that he saw Katsuki growing increasingly impatient. "Katou-san, I have brought Kanda-san and Tanaka-san. They are important guests. Please lead them to sit with other guests of Versailles. It's time we really got started."

"Ah! Of course," Kyouka nodded, before springing into character. Her voice became lighter, more feminine and gentle as she spoke. She bowed to Katsuki and Denki deeply. "Kanda-sama, Tanaka-sama… Welcome to Versailles. Tonight you shall be treated like the royalty you are. It will be an honour to serve you. Please, follow me so that you can make yourselves comfortable in our most luxurious palace."

Katsuki nodded, following Kyouka as she led the way. Sure, he found this act fucking weird because it was her of all people. How could she manage to say such shitty dialogue with a straight face? He glanced to Denki – of course Droopy was eating it all up. His eyes were wide and his face was going redder than Kyouka's lipstick at this rate.

Hitoshi sighed – did Denki actually want to help with spying, or did he just want a solid excuse to come and see Kyouka in her geiko attire?

Kyouka led them down the hallway and slid a door across to a drinking party in one of the establishment's rooms. The group in there were enjoying a meal and lots of sake that the geiko was serving to them. However, they all looked up when Kyouka opened the door. She bowed to them deeply. "My esteemed guests. We have two more guests who would like to join you. This is Kanda-sama and Tanaka-sama. They are ronin from Kagoshima." A couple of them cheered – they declared themselves to be from nearby prefectures. Kyouka gestured to some available seats, though the only ones there weren't next to one another. "Please, make yourself comfortable. Serving this room is Tokage-san. Call on her if you need anything."

Denki's face fell when he saw that one, Kyouka was leaving, and two, he'd have to sit away from Katsuki. This wasn't good, though he supposed it was to be expected. He and Katsuki took their seats, finding themselves sitting directly opposite one another. The geiko referred to as Tokage served them cups of sake each, while the men had other ideas about Kyouka departing.

"But what if we need you, Katou-chan?" laughed one of the guests, others crowing in succession.

"Hey hey, you don't need him!" another guest chimed in. "Katou-chan, I bet you'd make a great wife!"

Katsuki heard a tiny crackle noise, before looking over and realising that Denki was not happy watching guests flirt with Kyouka. But Denki was restraining himself from reacting too angrily, something Katsuki was thankful for. They both trusted Kyouka to be able to handle this with grace.

She feigned a shy blush and smile. "Oh my… I am honoured that you would find me worthy of marriage," she began, gagging internally with disgust. Having these older men fawn over her truly wasn't her cup of tea. In fact, she was quite glad that entertaining others wasn't her main profession. "I wonder… how would my Danna feel?"

Some of the men's eyes went wide, others groaning slightly in disappointment – a Danna was usually a wealthy man, much wealthier than anyone in this group, who would form a partnership with a geiko and fund her training and other costs to maintain the lifestyle. And when any man with an average income heard that term, they knew they just couldn't compare. Katsuki was impressed at her save though – not disrespecting the customer advances, yet still making herself unavailable. She was good, he could admit that. The amount of relief on Denki's face was somewhat amusing to him as well, though he kept it to himself.

With that, Kyouka took her leave. Tokage offered to play some music while the men enjoyed their food and alcohol. She reached behind her to grab her shamisen, which she played beautiful melodies from. Such tunes gave Katsuki and Denki nostalgia.

Denki thought of April 1863, the sakura was beginning to bloom. He was getting used to Kyoto and decided to explore the city. What he ended up finding was the most beautiful blossom of all.

Beneath the trees, petals dancing around in the breeze, was a young woman on her lonesome. Her fingers were creating poetry upon the strings of the shamisen and her voice just as heavenly. There was something raw and low to her voice, but heartfelt with years of experience under her belt. She sung of melancholy, she sung of loss, she sung of all the truths to this world and Denki couldn't help but hang on to every verse.

When her music finished, eyelids fluttered open and dark eyes cast themselves on Denki. The way her cheeks went pink like the flowers as she told him to keep what he'd witnessed a secret. How she insisted that the only reason he let him listen for so long was just so she could ensure he'd promise her this.

He wanted to sign his entire life away to those melodies.

No matter how often he'd hear music playing in Shimabara or anywhere else, Denki couldn't find what he discovered that April. Music that bared the soul, that made him search within himself and uncover new depths.

If it wasn't Kyouka Jirou playing that shamisen, Denki could never truly engage with it.

Opposite Denki, Katsuki thought of Eijirou back when they were rowdy children, messing around with their parents' belongings. At Eijirou's home, Katsuki found a shamisen belonging to Eijirou's mother. Back then, they did not appreciate the traditional music that people would play with such a magnificent instrument. So the boys messed around, playing hideous tunes in mockery of the traditions. Katsuki broke the shamisen in two. That day, Eijirou covered for him.

The grip on his sake cup tightened. Eijirou always had his back. Whenever he got into trouble, it was Eijirou who pulled him out again. Katsuki saw an overwhelming debt he had to repay and yet he never asked for any of this. Not once.

Eijirou gave him everything so freely – he even signed his entire life away to the Ochimizu just so Katsuki wouldn't become the test subject.

At what point did it get to that? Katsuki couldn't understand. One moment they were just boys messing around, Eijirou got grounded for a while as he took blame for the broken shamisen. The next moment so much occurred and now they're here.

Tokage continued to play her shamisen and past longings and regrets took to the surface and threatened to lay themselves bare.

 **...**

Beneath the moonlight, a lone samurai practised a one armed swing out in the open courtyard of the Yoikusa Headquarters. It was Fumikage Tokoyami, the captain of the Fifth Division. He knew it was only a matter of days until he would officially lose that title. Everyone in the compound knew of his situation and ever since he was able to step out of his room, all he was met with was pitying looks.

He hated it.

The only person who looked at him with genuine eyes was Mezo, but even he worried day in and day out. This was the first night he'd been able to get Mezo to step away from him and focus on their subordinates. That being said, he couldn't help but love Mezo all the more for being his pillar of support throughout all this. Tsuyu and Deku had been really helpful as well.

Blood of demons had been on his mind ever since that night. The way Deku's blood sped up his healing process when he consumed it and how Ochaco's calmed Eijirou down with the bloodlust faster than any regular human blood would.

More samples would help him in his research with the Ochimizu and caring for those in the Yoikusa already infected by it. But wanting it and actually asking for it were different stories. Still, Fumikage had a plan.

"Tokoyami-kumichou!" the increasingly familiar voice of Deku called out to him, lightly jogging over. "Shuzenji-sensei instructed that you well… you're risking yourself handling a katana."

Fumikage's dark eyes flickered to the concerned young man. With a turn of his heel, he lunged towards him, stopping only when the blade was inches from Deku's throat. Though his technique was impressive and Deku managed to stand strong against the sudden attack, Fumikage was left panting and sweating from the exertion of energy. He bit his lip, feeling a surge of pain from his arm that he tried not to let show.

Deku's brow furrowed as he observed Fumikage's movements. "I already know that you're strong, Tokoyami-kumichou. Please don't act as if you have to prove something to me, or anyone else."

"I still have my pride as the Fifth Division Captain, and as a samurai," Fumikage countered, swinging his blade out to the side again. "Even if my body were to deteriorate into nothing, I can never give up my blade."

The code of the samurai was a concept Deku had only recently familiarised himself with. He understood that they had their special set of morals, ethics, and rules to live by, rules to die by. But surely there had to be some kind of exception made. Deku remembered the wounds Fumikage suffered that night. The missing ear, flesh chewed out on his cheek, all on his arm… scars that would never fully heal. It was a sight that he would never forget, even if he wanted to.

He shook his head. "No one is making you put your blade down for good, it's just… your body will suffer if you try to wield it, if you try to fight with it again."

Fumikage sighed. "Then my body suffers."

"Please, Tokoyami-kumichou—"

"If there is no place for me in this world as a samurai, then there is no place for me at all."

A cool breeze blew through the courtyard, sweeping the words out of reach. Deku knew what Fumikage meant – if he truly felt like that, then he could be considering seppuku. That mustn't happen. But Shuzenji's instructions were absolute: Fumikage will never be able to truly handle a sword ever again. Yet if Fumikage is to give up the blade, he may just give up everything else that goes with it.

"Tokoyami-chan, that's enough!" A long tongue swept through and snatched the blade with perfect precision from Fumikage's grasp. The two turned to the source and there was Tsuyu, the handle of the katana between her teeth. Deku could never get used to her power, incredible as it was, but right now he was relieved to see her. Tsuyu reached to take the blade from her mouth, wiping off her saliva using a handkerchief. "If you ever wish to prove everyone wrong, then you must be a patient man! You are rushing your way back into your training and it's causing everyone to worry about you. Besides, you are more than a samurai, you always have been. You're our friend, our family, our great Ochimizu Researcher. We can't make progress without you. Shouji-chan needs you too, we all do."

Fumikage's eyes were wide as he listened to Tsuyu. She made valid points but… right now he wasn't himself without his katana, unable to use it the way he could before. If he desired to prove the doctor wrong and handle that blade again, he couldn't rush it. "Asui-dono…"

"It's Tsu," she corrected lightly, before continuing. "And if you decide that seppuku is your only option, then I will act as your Kaishakunin. I hope it does not come to that. If you hurt Shouji-chan by leaving him all too soon, I will not be a merciful Kaishakunin."

Deku gulped. While the act of seppuku involved cutting open the stomach, the role of the Kaishakunin was to behead the one committing the act just when they reached the point of agony. Usually the role was assigned to someone who was close to the one committing seppuku. In these recent weeks, Deku was aware of the incredibly close friendship they shared, but for Tsuyu to offer herself as the final executioner… it was horrifying to even think about.

"Very well," Fumikage nodded, bowing his head. "… Thank you, Tsu-dono. I accept your terms… and your words of wisdom. I shall retire for the night."

Tsuyu nodded, bringing his katana to return to him. She eyed him to ensure he was sheathing the blade again. He bid both Tsuyu and Deku goodnight and made for his quarters, leaving the pair alone.

Deku exhaled in relief. "Tsu-san, thank you… I wasn't sure what to say to him."

"I know," she responded frankly, but it didn't put him off this time. Tsuyu was right to step in just now. If it keeps Fumikage alive, then that's all that really matters. "Shouji-chan is in a troubled state. He understands Tokoyami-chan in so many different ways, but those ways are conflicting." She noticed Deku raising a brow, clearly wanting her to elaborate, so she continued, "As a samurai, he knows that Tokoyami-chan's pride is wounded in a way that is unrepairable – it is not uncommon for samurai to commit seppuku if they are unable to continue that life. As a researcher, he knows that Tokoyami-chan has uses beyond being a samurai. As a friend, he wants to be a pillar of support in which Tokoyami-chan can rely upon… and as a lover, he doesn't want to live in a world that doesn't have Tokoyami-chan in it. He's in a desperate situation."

"L-Lover..?!" Deku blushed, startled by her mentioning it so bluntly. He supposed it made sense, how private they were with one another, while presenting business only and comradery to the rest of the Yoikusa. "W-Wait, but if Tokoyami-kumichou and Shouji-dono are... well… Would he truly choose seppuku over Shouji-dono?"

The short vice-captain nodded sadly. "If he does not resonate with his current self, he believes that he isn't worthy of anybody. The only logic that truly resonates with him right now is the Ochimizu research, I believe… because it gives him purpose."

"Then…" Deku bit his lip, afraid of the answer. "If we reach the stage where the Ochimizu research is complete and the Yoikusa are no longer required… do you think he might…" He didn't want to finish his sentence. He couldn't.

"It's entirely possible."

 **...**

Katsuki found himself growing impatient. Though the men certainly had strong political opinions, nothing they were saying could get them thrown in jail. Sometimes they asked him and Denki about Kagoshima and what brought them to Kyoto, but they didn't seem interested in their answers. Just obligatory small talk. Katsuki loathed small talk, but he saw that Denki was actually really brilliant at it.

He watched as Denki insisted on more sake, but was doing more filling of other people's cups than his own. It was a good idea to bring Denki here after all, Katsuki noted. While he couldn't praise Denki's intellect, there was something he had in spades that Katsuki lacked – social intelligence.

The longer he sat here, the more it dawned on him just how out of place he was for a mission like this. It was frustrating.

"You know…" the men beside him drawled, breathing out a disgusting stench of alcohol in Katsuki's face. "Kanda-san, you're not nearly as fun as your friend there. You barely say anything, not even smiling! Loosen up, c'mon..!" he chuckled, slapping Katsuki roughly on the shoulder.

As Katsuki turned to instinctively scold the man for various things such as breathing on him, touching him, telling him that he wasn't fun, something rose to the surface of his throat.

His skin paled and his body broke out into a sweat. Katsuki couldn't believe it. He wasn't a lightweight, but he felt nausea sweep his entire being.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Katsuki excused himself, hurrying on out of the room before anyone could question or protest him. He shuffled down the hallways quickly, even shoving other patrons aside as he eventually found the bathroom stall. Lurching over the hole, he prepared himself to vomit.

When his body lurched and he spat out the contents of his mouth, he saw the splatter of red. He choked on it and began a coughing fit. It wasn't vomit. Everything that came out was thick, tainted blood. He struggled to breathe, but he did his best to carry himself through the motions. What the fuck was happening to him? He never had symptoms like this before.

Sure, he might have been more breathless after fights in recent times, but he didn't see it as particularly hindering. He didn't feel as strong in his lungs, but never had he felt this weak.

His large hands grasped the edges of the seat roughly, dead nail edges chipping slightly on the wood. The smell in here was absolutely rotten. He smelled recent puke of some other patron who is in before him. The large buckets below needed to be emptied… but this blood. He wasn't sure what to do about that.

Catching his breath, Katsuki reached for the nearest fresh cloth to wipe around his mouth, his face and then at the blood that didn't go into the toilet hole. Of course, he couldn't just leave this in the basket of used cloths to the side, not with the stains of the red. Finally, he chose to drop the cloth down the hole – an accident on purpose. It was the best he could do at this stage.

But these new symptoms… Katsuki didn't know what to do. He wasn't someone who ever got sick before. In fact, he was proud of his amazing health. Katsuki loved being known as the Sword of the Yoikusa, the strongest warrior there is.

He shook his head. These symptoms would only be temporary. Nothing was going to get in the way. He won't become the next Fumikage.

 **...**

Denki was surprised to see Katsuki leave so abruptly. Even more so at the fact he was taking ages in the bathroom. He didn't think that Katsuki drank all that much either – he was a heavy weight too. All those nights of partying with him, Eijirou and Hanta built up an incredible tolerance in the Second Division Captain. Maybe Katsuki wasn't comfortable being here with so many men who didn't support the shogunate? Or the fact he had to restrain himself from getting into a brawl or shouting match? Either way, Denki wasn't planning to give up on his mission.

They came to help Kyouka and Hitoshi and that's exactly what Denki planned to do. So he kept encouraging more drinking, trying to ask the right questions to get people talking. For once in Denki's life, he felt like his extroverted nature was a real bonus.

"Hey hey… you know what..? I heard a rumour, a big big rumour…" one of the men slurred, very close to the point of passing out.

"Oi oi, you're not gossiping over there, are ya?" another man laughed. "Go on then! Haha!"

The man who initially spoke downed the rest of the sake in his cup before continuing. "So there's a new merchant in town, y'know? Heh, he's actually in co-operation with Choshu. He's going by Masuya Kiemon for now…"

"What? Is he getting in on… you know?"

"Know what?"

"You know, you know!"

"Hmm… hah. That operation…" he chuckled under his breath.

Denki blinked, trying to catch onto what was being discussed. The mention of Choshu had him concerned – they were an enemy of the shogunate, with many of their samurai joining rebel groups. He made sure to remember the name that was mentioned, Masuya Kiemon, and the fact he was currently acting as a merchant.

To his disappointment, the man who seemed to be spilling out information was dozing off. One of the others offered to take him back home. That seemed to trigger a series of men deciding to make a move. They were getting away, and Denki realised they had so much more that they knew. So Denki got up and hurried ahead of the other men, searching for someone to try and help. The patron who slung that blabbermouth's arm around his shoulders was staggering through the hallway.

Almost as if the gods were smiling upon him, Denki spotted Hitoshi heading out of his room. He signalled for Hitoshi's attention, and the vice-captain of the Third Division made for him.

Hitoshi spoke to Denki in a low voice. "Found out something?"

Denki nodded, his voice a whisper. "That guy who's close to passing out… he knows something. He was running his mouth big time."

"Hmm… alright."

Just with that alone, Hitoshi made for the pair who were staggering through the corridors. He looked them in the eye and had their attentions almost instantly. Denki was always nervous about this power of Hitoshi's, watching as the young man successfully convinced the patron to hand his drunken friend into his care and head home without him. Before heading off with the man, Hitoshi shot a small smirk in Denki's direction and mouthed the words "Find the others. We're calling it a night."

With that, Denki turned on his heel to search for the bathroom. Why was Katsuki spending so much time there anyway? He couldn't think why.

It took him a while to figure out the way, but just as he was about to make the final turn towards the bathroom, he heard more chatter down another corridor. Denki glanced at the bathroom, but something made him change his mind. The chatter included a mention of a 'Katou' – that must be referring to Kyouka.

He didn't dash onto the scene immediately, only peering around the corner.

There was Kyouka, cornered by two much larger patrons, clearly tipsy but held themselves high. She maintained her persona, but Denki needed only a single glance to know that she was uncomfortable to be there.

"C'mon… I'll pay you double if you come back to mine…" slurred one of the two.

The other shoved his companion lightly. "Only double? Listen, Katou-chan. I'll pay triple."

Kyouka bowed a little. "Please forgive me, but I do not engage in the services I believe you are asking for. Yuga of Versailles does not allow for such conduct. Also my Danna does not pay for me to—"

One of the men slammed a hand against the wall, cornering her further. "Your Danna doesn't have to know. Let's have the night of our lives. You know you want to."

"I cannot," Kyouka replied, a little more firmly this time. "That is not part of my contract. I will not lie to my employers, nor my Danna."

"Oi, does the Danna give you a good time then? Is that why he forbids you engage with bigger, better men?"

Such implications from the second man made Kyouka want to hurl. Ugh, she hated when she got particularly persistent patrons to deal with. It was time to step it up in dealing with these people. She could drug them in an instant, slip away before they knew what happened. They were drunk enough that they'd likely believe it was that causing the confusion, not anything she'd done. After all, they believed her to be a fragile little geiko who couldn't say no to anything.

That was the plan, anyway.

Denki strode down the corridor, a confident strut in his step. "That's right! As her Danna, I can't accept the idea of her shacking up with anyone else!" he declared, Kyouka ready to kill him for interfering. The men turned away for her, about to snap back, but Denki wouldn't shut up. "Junko Katou is my geiko and I'll do anything for her future. She plays music better than anyone in the country and her voice… man, if you heard it, you'd think she was some kind of goddess! What makes you think you could ever be worthy of the most talented, beautiful geiko in the whole wide world?"

Kyouka opened her mouth to speak, but her face was so embarrassed and shocked that the words just wouldn't come out. She didn't want to presume anything though – Denki was just distracting them away from her, all his words were just part of that act. Still, she saw the opportunity to slip away and head to Denki's side, stepping behind him.

The other two men were pissed off though. "Fuck you! A poor piece of shit like you could never fund a geiko's lifestyle!" Denki gasped a little – he looked 'poor'? He supposed working for the Yoikusa didn't provide a great pay but… poor? No way..!

"You're no Danna, not looking like that!" Just more salt rubbed into the wound.

"Th-That's because he spends more on me than he spends on himself..!" Kyouka finally managed to get some words out. Denki already decided to play the role of danna and she wasn't going to let that slip away. "It really surprised me, how much he was putting on the line for my career… but I am most grateful to him. He is the reason I can serve amazing patrons such as yourselves and be the very best version of myself."

Denki's cheeks reddened at her words, but he was incredibly grateful. She pulled a great save and while the two men looked on in scrutiny, they eventually nodded in acceptance.

"Consider yourself lucky, scrub," one of them spoke up at last, "You got one of the best in the business. But when she retires, I'm proposing."

"Like she'd ever say yes to a brute like you!" laughed the other, nudging his elbow. "C'mon, let's go. Maybe one of the other geiko is keen?" Finally they went away, heading back to the room where the rest of their party were.

Kyouka grumbled under her breath, just enough for Denki to hear as soon as they were left alone. "Of course they changed their tune once another man staked their claim on me. I hate men, they don't take no for an answer from women until some other man steps in." Denki quirked a brow in her direction, reaching out to give her shoulder a squeeze.

"They weren't willing to believe me until you backed me up," he reminded her with a soft smile. "Who cares about those guys? You were brilliant."

She avoided meeting his gaze, but the faintest of smiles graced her features. "Well… they were right about one thing."

"And what's that?"

Finally, she turned to face him with the biggest smirk he'd ever seen her pull. "Like you could ever afford to be a Danna on your salary!" Then she burst into laughter at his protests – the look on his face was too funny for her. Even as his face turned red in humiliation, she couldn't stop. "They – they really needed to believe you turned poor from spending all your money on me..! You poor, poor man – I could just see you living in the gutters after emptying your wallet on some pretty face!"

"O-Oi, I wouldn't be that bad!" pouted Denki, taking a step towards her. "Anyway, aren't geikos supposed to be elegant and composed? You're belly-laughing like the rest of the drunkards here..!"

Kyouka's eyes widened, but she was still amused. "So why are you here, 'Tanaka-san'?" she asked, reminding them that they were here on a mission.

Denki blinked at first, forgetting the answer to her question. But he recalled it again after a couple of moments, especially as her expression grew impatient. "I found a guy who knows some really good information. Honda-san has taken him back to headquarters… so I came looking for you and Kanda-san."

"Huh? Kanda-san already left," she replied matter-of-factly, "I saw him leaving – I thought you'd have known that already."

"No? He just got up saying he needed the bathroom and that was the last I heard of him," his voice was sounding a little panicked. "Did he look okay to you? When he was leaving, I mean…"

Kyouka frowned. "Honestly, he didn't look very well at home. But I wasn't in a position to go after him." Seeing the distress emerging on Denki's face, she reached for his hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sure he's gone back to headquarters. He can handle himself, even on an off day."

But Denki knew Katsuki better than her – Katsuki never ever got sick. Injured? Sure, plenty of times. He only ever got sick if he overdid the drinking, but he was far from tipsy tonight. While Denki wasn't always onto it, he at least paid attention to people. He may not understand Katsuki on the same level as Eijirou or maybe even Ochaco, but Denki knew a few things about the hot-headed captain of the second division.

Katsuki does not get sick.

Still, Kyouka's gesture was rare and more importantly, kind. She saw he was worried and her instinct to comfort him put Denki more at ease – even though she wasn't usually the type to pull such gestures at all. He saw the doubt in her eyes, wondering if she was doing the right thing. His warm smile in return shed the doubts away.

"Yeah, that's true. We're probably over-thinking it – hell, he might kick our asses for thinking he was sick or something!" he laughed it off. "C'mon, let's head back… and one last thing."

"Oh?" she cocked her head a little to one side.

"I wouldn't empty my wallet away for just any pretty face. My future _wife_ however… oh yeah, I'd give her the world!" he squeezed her hand tightly, winking at her. If she thought his face earlier was hilarious, Denki could have doubled over at Kyouka's. She snatched her hand away, hurrying on ahead.

"Don't be an idiot. Your future wife doesn't want a broke husband!" she sped up to make sure she didn't have to listen to Denki's laughter. Why did he always have to be so amazing and yet pull out these dumb, infuriating lines and send her heart flying in all directions? First and foremost, Kyouka Jirou is a kunoichi for the Yaoyorozu and the Yoikusa. She need only play her part, nothing more. None of these extra emotions and outlandish thoughts that always seemed to come with being in the company of this idiot man.

Kyouka swore to herself that she wouldn't let Denki win.

Even so, Denki's grin widened. As thoughts of Katsuki eased away, all he could focus on as he followed Kyouka out was that expression back in April 1863.

Kyouka's heavenly singing breathed colours into his life, colours that he never knew existed. He thought he'd seen it all, heard it all and nothing could surprise him anymore. But this girl he initially presumed as antisocial and gloomy was so much more than what he believed. The rush of pink hues to her cheeks when paid a compliment that she struggled to accept. The laughter like music to his ears, a sound others didn't believe to even exist.

 _"_ _You know… it's cool how you have all these amazing talents. After hearing you sing, I could probably die happy."_

 _"…_ _Don't be an idiot."_

Hearts beat faster in the vortex of emotion when they're together, but these hearts were the biggest idiots of all.

 **...**

Deku was surprised at how early some of the captains returned for the night. Even though it was extremely late, his mind was restless with worry over Fumikage. He couldn't bring himself to sleep a wink even if he willed it with his entire being. Eventually, laying wide awake in his futon doing nothing at all really got to the better of him. He decided to go and take a bath, hoping that some relaxation might put him at ease.

Gathering his belongings, Deku tiptoed through the hallways, hoping not to wake anyone in the process. The headquarters were dead quiet, though he could hear some voices in the interrogation section. He'd heard from Denki about the Shimabara Operation and that they managed to secure a suspect who may know some solid information. After spending at least five or ten minutes describing Kyouka's geiko attire in immaculate detail to him, Denki finally teetered off to get some sleep.

As for Katsuki, he came home way before all the other night shift captains. If looks could kill, Deku would have been slaughtered instantly if he dare got in the way. Deciding he preferred his life even if he always recovered anyway, Deku steered clear of Katsuki's path. He wasn't able to get close enough to truly confirm, but Deku was certain Katsuki was gasping for breath as he made for his room. Deku hoped that Katsuki would be feeling better tomorrow – he didn't seem injured at least.

When Deku made it to the bathroom, he was surprised that there was a heavy cloud of steam still prominent here. He'd assumed everyone had gone to bed or was busy right now. But he could see just enough to know that someone was in there - the shape of the shadowed, fog-obstructed figure wasn't recognisable either.

"H-Hello..?" he asked cautiously. "It's me, Deku…"

He heard the figure turn in amongst the bathwater to face him. It wasn't an abrupt turn, just a soft, unbothered movement that sent gentle waves across the surface of the water. "Ah, welcome. Don't let my being here stop you." Deku was relieved – it was Yagi-kyokuchou.

Wait. He'd never actually been alone with the head chief of the Yoikusa before. In fact, he hadn't seen him often at all – even other members of the Yoikusa worried about it. Katsuki's temper triggered at the mere asking of how the chief was doing. Yet a man he barely seen much of was here before him.

Carefully, Deku removed his clothing and placed it in a basket. Then he tiptoed over and sat on one of the stools, washing his body so that he wouldn't taint the bathwater getting in. But once he was there, he got a much clearer view of the chief. He didn't want to stare, but Yagi-kyokuchou was nothing like he expected.

The Yagi-kyokuchou he knew was a large, bulky temple of a man, someone who got depicted almost monstrously in paintings. He was viewed as one of the manliest men amongst all samurai in Japan. Katsuki idolised him as the strongest person in the world. Eijirou wanted to buff up his body to be just like him. Everyone saw their chief as aspirational for so many reasons. He wasn't just an amazingly powerful figure, but he would level himself and interact with the lowest ranked of his men. Everyone in the Yoikusa felt like a tight knit family – it wasn't perfect, but it was good. Yagi-kyokuchou was viewed as the reason the Yoikusa could function the way it does.

What Deku was met with wasn't the man he expected to see.

"Yagi-kyokuchou..?" he breathed out anxiously, unsure what to say or do.

His eyes weren't on the man who was the hero of the Yoikusa. This was a shell of him, skin and bone. Yagi-kyokuchou's face was gaunt, his expression lacking the vigour that Deku was first introduced to just a couple months ago. His body was host to lifelong scars that Deku had never seen on anyone before. These weren't the wounds you'd get from a regular ronin. Beyond that, he couldn't tell what they were from.

Yagi-kyokuchou's eyes flickered over to Deku. "We are not having an official discussion. You can drop the formalities."

Deku bit his lip. "Yagi-san… what… what happened to you?"

"Many things, young Deku," he replied, unable to hide the bitterness felt. "… You keep looking at my scars. They are unique… it's due to my power."

"The one gained from drinking Ochimizu..?" enquired Deku, remembering what Shouto had told him.

Yagi rested his arms on the bath's edge, allowing Deku to see them in greater detail. "I drank the Ochimizu not to gain power, but to properly harness the power I had inherited some years beforehand."

"Inherited..?" Deku was surprised to hear this. He'd never heard of power inheritance before, nothing that didn't already transfer through genetics.

"Yes. I think you are similar to me in that sense… some demons are not born with power, you see. They inherit," Yagi elaborated, seeing that Deku was unable to respond properly. His expression was focused and if it was one thing Yagi liked about the boy, it was that Deku was a keen listener and a great learner. "Since the beginning of demonkind, there were demons whose powers surpassed all others. Their bodies could not contain the power within, so those demons often had their lives shortened as the cost for being gifted such great power. When those demons reached the end of their life, a powerless demon would step forward and inherit the gift of power. For many powerless demons, it was seen as a way to regain honour and respect amongst demonkind. However, great power meant that wars would be fought to grasp that power for their own. Eventually such demons became spurned by their community… and some of these powers died out due to no inheritors who would take them."

Shaking his head, Deku protested Yagi's initial statements. "No, I… I'm not an Inheritor. I'd never heard of all this before – I think someone would have told me if I was an inheritor."

"It's a concept unknown to the majority of demonkind in the era we live in. Many who do know don't want to know," Yagi remarked, not entirely surprised at Deku dismissing the concept.

"It's not that I don't believe you!" Deku clarified. "It's just… I think if I were to inherit an amazing power like the Phoenix Heart, I'm certain that I'd remember all that. Nobody gave me this power… it's just a genetic transfer that I didn't know about until I actually died. That was when um… there was an attack on the village."

Yagi's eyes bore into Deku's, threatening to expose his entire being. "The Phoenix Heart is not classed among the powers that transfers through family genetics. And neither is my power 'One for All'. These scars of mine… they are scars that only my power could inflict… just like the faint burns on your own body." Deku instinctively leapt into the bathwater, trying to hide the scars that Yagi so easily pointed out. He chuckled a little. "These are scars only an Inheritor can obtain."

"I don't know, I really don't have memories of it happening… I'm trying to think but… nothing's there, Yagi-san. I don't even know who had the Phoenix Heart before me – if I inherited it directly, I'm sure that I'd know who I got it from…"

"It's something to think about, young Deku," replied Yagi, exhaling a little. Finally, he rose out of the water, getting out and reaching for his towel.

"Yagi-san..!" Deku called after him. It was rare to have a conversation that really fleshed out his knowledge of demons. Just when he thought he'd learned it all, Yagi introduced a concept he'd never even heard of. He realised that the other demons of the Yoikusa may not know of it either. Shouto would have told him if he knew. "… Yagi-san, you said that an Inheritor has a shorter lifespan once they inherit a power… how long do you have..?"

The Chief of the Yoikusa finished wrapping his towel around himself. With another towel he focused on drying his hair. He left the question hanging in the heavy silence as he sorted himself out. It was only when Deku was about to give up on receiving an answer that Yagi finally spoke, "You are forbidden from sharing this information with the others. Only two others know about this."

"Aizawa-souchou and Todoroki-fukuchou..?"

"Correct."

Another phase of quiet made itself known in the foggy atmosphere as Yagi finished redressing himself. It was a torturous pause in the conversation, but Deku refused to push him further.

Deku bowed his head. "I promise I won't tell anyone, Yagi-kyokuchou."

"Young Deku, I will hold you to that promise," he responded firmly. "My current prediction is that I have three more years to live."

He was almost too scared to ask, already stricken by the awful news he was just told. But there was one last thing that he had to know, even if the answer may break his heart. "Yagi-kyokuchou, who do you intend to be your inheritor?"

Yagi sighed a little. "He doesn't know it yet, but I think there is only one candidate who would be crazy enough to take on such a power and use it to bring the Yoikusa to victory… a candidate more passionate about championing my cause than anyone else. When the time comes and if he is ready for it, the leading candidate is Katsuki Bakugou."

* * *

 **next chapter: With the new information extracted from the Shimabara Operation, the Yoikusa are sent as back-up at Ikedaya. New foes make their presence known.**


	7. chapter six: the new threat

**Phew, sorry for the wait! I'm moving to my new home in a few weeks so lately in between my job and stuff I've been prepping for the move. Thanks to everyone who has read so far and are enjoying this story! I was thinking at chapter 10 I'll do a 'status update' so y'all can keep track of the cast and where they're at. For now though, enjoy!**

* * *

 **chapter six: the new threat.**

 **...**

 **May 22, 1864.**

Deku didn't get a wink of sleep last night. Still reeling from everything Yagi-kyokuchou had confided to him, relaxation was the furthest from crossing his mind. The sheer thought that he could be an inheritor, and that he stole a life to gain the Phoenix Heart… it was too much to comprehend. Searching into the depths of his memory bore him no fruit, only a dizzying blur of events that may or may not have happened. He couldn't remember anything.

Once he came to terms with no definitive memories of inheriting this power, Deku pondered the next approach to finding the answer. Memories can be affected by the way a situation was interpreted at the time.

Was there a moment in time where he perceived an event incorrectly?

This was an almost impossible angle to tackle, but Deku was determined. All it left him with was self-doubts, remembering all the situations he could have handled better than he did. Shouto's observations of his initial fighting style came to mind. How he fought as if his own death didn't matter. That's when the harsh realisation settled in like a parasite sucking out all the hope from within. Inheritor powers may be incredible, but the life expectancy was decreased not by simply possessing the power - it must be through the use of power.

Yagi-kyokuchou would have fought in many battles as Chief of the Yoikusa, but Deku knew he had to have been through more just to reach that prestigious position. When the Chief estimated about three years to live, this was most likely based on the notion that he would preserve his power for when it was absolutely necessary. How often would the necessary moment arise? Deku couldn't help but contemplate that.

When it came down to it, Deku didn't know how long the Chief of the Yoikusa had, if only because the number of times his power will be used was impossible to predict.

The number of times could be anything from ten more times, or twenty to thirty more times... but it could so easily be one left.

How often has Deku used the Phoenix Heart? That was the other question. He'd lost count by this stage. If he knew it was an inherited power with limited use, he wouldn't have used it so much. No wonder Shouto was against him using it the way he does. One day, letting himself die could be suicide - the Phoenix Heart would not bring him back.

It was so long since Deku last feared death, but now the sheer reality of the concept drew closer in a matter of hours, even though he hadn't found himself in a dangerous situation for weeks. He couldn't believe that he'd gone and forgotten this feeling. The Phoenix Heart made him cocky about his own mortality, and moving forward he has to pay the price.

 **...**

Denki came out of Yagi-kyokuchou's office with a large grin on his face, Hitoshi and Kyouka following him closely. Waiting in the courtyard for them were Tenya, Hanta, Tsuyu and Deku, curious to see how their meeting went with the chief of the Yoikusa, Shouto Todoroki, and Susumu Yamazaki of the Shinsengumi. Katsuki and Denki did get scolded for going against orders and joining the Shimabara Operations, but what the latter came back with was a huge find for both the Yoikusa and Shinsengumi combined.

They were able to capture and interrogate a man who knew about Shuntaro Furutaka, who was co-operating with Choshu against the Shogunate. Shuntaro had a disguise as a merchant, but his background dealings were definitely of high importance.

The Shinsengumi weren't sure yet of the plans of these ronin, but any valuable information on the enemy was greatly rewarded.

Hopefully all this has secured the Yoikusa an even better working relationship with the Shinsengumi, Deku thought, feeling optimistic for his companions. What he got out of the previous night wasn't nearly as positive, but he had to keep all this secret.

Katsuki was holed up in his quarters, reluctant to attend the meeting. Deku wasn't sure of the details, but all Ochaco would say was that the Second Division Captain wasn't feeling great and needed some rest. He hoped there was something he could do to help, but he was refusing visitors.

"So what's the verdict?" Hanta asked, a hopeful grin upon his lips. Denki came rushing over and met his friend's hand in a fist bump.

"How about we all go for lunch and I'll tell ya?" suggested Denki, "Yagi-kyokuchou gave us permission – he said Deku could join us!"

Deku blinked, before managing a smile. "Well, if you'll have me…"

"Then let us be on our way!" Tenya got everyone revved up and heading out. Deku was happy to see everyone in high spirits, especially with all that happened recently, particularly with Fumikage. Even Hitoshi seemed quite pleased with himself, showing a very rare smile. It was nice to see everyone in normal clothing, having the day off instead of patrolling in uniform.

That being said, he struggled to look at Tsuyu and Kyouka in their kimonos. He'd been so used to them dressing in more masculine clothing, same with Ochaco. Deku had almost forgotten what kimonos even looked at and while Kyouka was certainly pretty, Tsuyu was too cute for words and he wasn't sure what to think of all this. That being said, he couldn't help but glance over at Tsuyu from the corner of his eye.

"The Shinsengumi offered to do our duty for today," Kyouka explained, walking alongside Tsuyu. "And the Yaoyorozu have increased their funding for the Yoikusa."

Tsuyu put a finger to her lips. "But that's not all, is there? I'm quite looking forward to learning the rest, kero."

Denki had asserted himself at the front of the group with Tenya. "Hey hey, let's eat at Satou's!"

Glancing back to Deku, Tsuyu gave the answer to a question he was about to ask. "Rikidou Satou is a friend of ours – he owns a shop that makes the best sweets in Kyoto… Speaking of which, shouldn't we invite Ocha? She loves the food Satou-chan makes."

"She's with Bakugou and it seemed pretty tense, so I didn't really want to push it with either," admitted Denki, rubbing the back of his neck.

Deku spoke up, suddenly with an idea. "Why don't we buy extra sweets to take back for them? We could also get some for the other captains who aren't joining us."

"Good idea," Tsuyu nodded, "I think everyone will appreciate it. Tokoyami-chan especially could do with a treat."

With the plan of buying enough to gift the others, the group proceeded into Rikidou's shop with smiles upon their lips.

 **...**

Ochaco knocked on the door, ignoring the barking of her captain to stay out as she then proceeded to enter with a tray of tea and hot rice porridge. Katsuki refused to emerge from his room after his talk with Yagi-kyokuchou in the early hours of the morning. No one was getting through to him, not even Eijirou. Sure, things were still tense between the two friends, but Eijirou had a way of climbing those walls Katsuki had firmly put up. But Ochaco was getting worried – he hadn't eaten and normally it was an easy task to get the young man to wolf down some food regardless of taste.

Katsuki had a withering look on his face, but she was used to that expression. What worried her was how pale his skin was, the light exposing sweat trickling down his face, the gasp for breath from just sitting up alone and the small wooden bucket at his bedside. She couldn't smell vomit, but stepping closer she realised what that stench was.

"Close the door..!" he snapped, almost startling her from her observations. In a hurry, she set the tray of food and tea down and slid his bedroom door shut. "Fucking Round Face, now you've really done it…"

"Done what..? Bakugou-kun, I'm worried about you. Let me help," she pleaded with him, but he shook his head. "I know you don't like it, but I'm your vice-captain. Please share your burdens with me."

"I can take care of myself," he insisted, even though his usually raw and gritty voice had a definite strain of vulnerability to it. Seeing Katsuki like this was painful and saddening. "… But you just had to invite yourself in anyway, fuck…" he ran his hand through his hair, which was far from its fluffy spiked self. Instead it was greasy and flattening against his fingers. "Look, don't you dare tell the others about this. I'll be back to normal soon."

She simply nodded, kneeling down at his side and pouring him a cup of tea. He accepted the cup from her and had a drink, before shifting to accept the bowl of rice porridge. "Can I please wash this..?" she asked, gesturing to the bucket. As soon as she noticed it, that was her primary concern.

Katsuki had been coughing up blood. That alone was a very serious matter to her.

But he nodded, on the condition that she doesn't let anyone see her. He also instructed for her to return as soon as she was finished. So Ochaco left him for a bit to wash this wooden pail, and he continued to eat. Seeing this blood, Katsuki's blood, swishing from side to side as she carefully snuck around the corridors. But she was determined to help him and if it's one thing he doesn't need, it's to be surrounding himself with the source of sickness.

Half an hour later, Ochaco had returned with more than just an empty bucket. She was carrying three buckets, a thick towel and cloth, along with a change of clothing. His eyes went wide at all she was carrying, realising one of those buckets with filled with bubbling water.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked warily. Ochaco noted that he finished the porridge and hadn't coughed up more while she was gone. That was a start.

Ochaco's pink cheeks turned a darker shade as she set her inventory down and returned to his bedside. "Well… you've been sweating a lot. I thought you might feel better if you're cleaner. The way you are right now… I don't know if you're comfortable using the baths. So I thought… maybe… um…"

A momentary silence passed between them as Katsuki processed what she was getting at. His face reddened, but he was already pretty feverish so he hoped his vice-captain wouldn't notice. Averting his eyes, he finally spoke.

"You're fucking bold, Round Face, you realise that?"

She squeaked with embarrassment, and she cupped her hands around her cheeks. Her body was beginning to achieve lift-off, so Katsuki grabbed at her wrist to bring her back to his level. His grasp was firm, but the sweat of his palms threatened to let her go. "I-I'm not trying to, um – I just… uh…" His fingers around his wrist tightened.

Katsuki sighed. "Just get it over with! It's not like I enjoy laying around in my own sweat," he grumbled, setting her back on the floor. Once he was certain she wasn't going to float to the ceiling, he reached for one of the towels. "I'll wrap this around my waist though, so don't you dare fucking look that low."

"I wouldn't, I swear..!" she babbled out, turning to face away from him so he could change. Her heart was pounding as her captain began to shift and change himself. She heard him muttering as he fussed with knotting the towel to stay in place, before finding a small stool to sit on.

"I'm ready," he said in a small voice, and Ochaco realised only then that he must be nervous too.

Ochaco swivelled around and moved to stand behind him. She couldn't help but note his muscular form, but what drew her eyes were the many scars. He was an experienced samurai who had been through so much. Even though she was here as part of the Yoikusa, even she hadn't seen and shed as much blood as Katsuki, nor had she sustained as many scars.

Dipping a cloth into the bubbling water infused with flowers and herbs, she got it soaked enough to hand to Katsuki so he wipe down his face. She then proceeded to grab the next cloth to soak and then apply to his back. Where sweat was trickling from his neck down his spine, she wiped it away. Her ministrations were gentle, but precise. But the thick scent of Katsuki's sweat was a distraction and a reminder, and as that faded and replaced itself with the flowers and herbs, what Ochaco was left with was a very masculine smell that left her heart pounding.

She hadn't been this close to another man before. Ochaco shook her head profusely, reminding herself that she's just nursing her captain back to health, nothing more.

They remained quiet the entire time, which she found strange with how talkative he usually was. His body shivered as his feverish temperatures began to lower to the coolness of the cloth. He leaned back ever so slightly into her touch. Despite how embarrassing this situation was, Ochaco's presence was somehow soothing. He felt gross and disgusting before, but her earnest help was doing wonders for his body.

It was easier to breathe. Once Ochaco finished with helping him clean the upper half of his body including his hair, he gestured for her to stop. She finally got a proper look at Katsuki's face now. His cheeks were warm in colour, but his expression was difficult to read.

"Uraraka…" he spoke softly, almost unrecognisable. "Don't tell anyone about this, promise me. I'm the Sword of the Yoikusa, the best warrior they have. I refuse to lose that position, and I refuse to let these symptoms get the better of me."

Ochaco bit her lip. "I think if the symptoms persist, you should see a doctor… and Yagi-kyokuchou needs to know if you're not—"

"No!" he refused instantly, a direct contrast to before. "I'm not fucking getting anyone else involved! Not Yagi-kyokuchou, or fucking Half-and-Half, or Kirishima or Deku, nobody else!" His hand reached for her wrist, a claw grip as Katsuki's eyes pleaded with her. "If any of them find out that I'm sick, they'll demote me. It'll only get worse from there. I've never been sick, not like this. I fucking hate this, I—" He paused, choking on his words. In a hurry, he lurched forward for his wooden bucket from before and began to cough.

They were heavy coughs that seemed to reach deep within, and he was left spitting out pools of thick red. Ochaco wrapped the largest towel she had with her over his shoulders, doing her best to provide support. She took him through breathing exercises, massaged his upper back with her hand as she tried to calm him through the fit he was experiencing.

Several minutes later, the coughing subsided, but his body felt hot again, similar to before. She got to work, taking away the sheets of his current futon to remake it for him. Her back was turned as she'd instructed him to change into the fresh clothing she brought for him.

Once he was settled back into his futon with clean sheets, Ochaco resumed their conversation. "Bakugou-kun… I promise I won't tell anyone… but if the others notice your symptoms too, I can't do anything about that."

Katsuki sighed. "I won't let it get that bad."

Ochaco shook her head. " _We_ won't let it get that bad." His eyes met hers quizzically, trying to decide whether to protest or not. "I don't like seeing you like this… and I know you don't like having others help you." Her words weren't quite resonating with him yet, even though she wasn't wrong – in fact, the opposite. "I know you're strong, Bakugou-kun. When you're on the battlefield, I can't help but think you're really cool! You always go all out on me when we train together, while everyone else thinks they should go easier on me because I'm a girl. I always relied on my own power before, but learning to fight with a sword gave me so much more. Now I feel like I'm a better samurai who can handle her own in a fight without having to rely on my demon powers! That was you, Bakugou-kun." Very carefully, she reached to place her hand over his. "So when I see you like this, I can't help it. I refuse to leave you alone."

His wrist shifted ever so slightly under the softness of her hand. He was flattered by her words, though Katsuki had already convinced himself of such long ago. But having Ochaco actually say it was something he never knew he needed.

"Fine, you can help with my recovery," he gave up on arguing further. "… But it won't be for long, got it? So don't fucking pity me or assume I'll have to give up the sword like Hawknose. That won't happen. I won't lose my place as the Sword of the Yoikusa."

 **...**

"So the long story short is," Denki was summarising the meeting from earlier as the others enjoyed eating freshly made dango, "The Shinsengumi want to work with us more often. Shinsou's going to do some training with Yamazaki, and for the rest of us? We're going to be put forward for more operations! So all of us are gonna be lining our pockets with more money and getting more experience on the battlefield… and Yagi-kyokuchou is going to do a reshuffle of the reporting lines and stuff. I think we're going to be moved in closer to the Shinsengumi and stuff. All in all, it's great!"

Deku nodded in amazement. The Shinsengumi were full of incredible warriors and while the city of Kyoto had divided opinions on them, it couldn't be denied that they were a force to be reckoned with. For the Yoikusa to gain more recognition from the very faction they were set up to ally with was truly an honour.

No wonder Hitoshi looked happier than usual too. To be singled out in particular for personal training under the likes of Susumu Yamazaki, it was a huge deal.

Kyouka swallowed her mouthful of dango. "It's quite exciting to have another member of the Yoikusa learn ninjutsu. I think you'll be really good at it, Shinsou."

"Thanks. I'll be over at the Shinsengumi headquarters more often, but I will bring back what I learn to the Yoikusa," Hitoshi responded with a slight smile upon his lips.

Hanta's grin was wide as he nudged the Third Division vice-captain with his elbow. "You should ask if the other Shinsengumi will train with us more too! I wanna improve with the naginata and Harada's awesome with it."

Hitoshi blinked at him. "Actually some of the changes in reporting lines… I think it's going to relate to the Shinsengumi Captains too…"

"Really?" Hanta's face lit up with excitement. "Oh man, I can't wait for the announcements about that. Do you know who we might each get?"

"I think I'd make a good team with Toudou," Denki mused aloud, "We trained at the same dojo a while when we were younger."

Tenya adjusted his glasses slightly, fogged a bit from the hot tea he just downed in a singular gulp. "I would like to work under Saito-kumichou. He is a master of the quick-draw after all. The way he carries himself is very admirable too!"

"I could see Okita-kumichou and Bakugou-chan being quite the combination," chirped Tsuyu, pondering the potential combinations of Shinsengumi and Yoikusa captains.

As their group enjoyed eating more sweets and exchanging gossip and eager discussion, Deku excused himself for the bathroom. His cheeks were warm with happiness for his friends and his stomach full from the delicious food. He was thinking about how wonderful it would be to go out with his friends to a place like this more often. Maybe Fumikage would be well enough to join them next time. Oh he hoped that there'd be a next time.

Such thoughts kept the boy light on his feet as he made his way down the hallway. Just as he reached the door to the bathroom, it was slid open abruptly by a tall young man whose very appearance chased away all delight in the atmosphere.

Deku's eyes went wide as he observed this young man – his body was covered in dark scars, possibly burns. He seemed more like ashes than human, with glaringly bright eyes that bore into his soul. His hair was the pitch black night and his scent was like smoke, but it wasn't any ordinary kind of smoky smell. It was like cremating corpses, and Deku knew that such an intense scent could only belong to a demon.

And as that realisation dawned upon him, he saw that this man was potentially observing him in such a similar way.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the stranger spoke first. "Move."

That's when Deku exhaled the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding this entire time. Apologising quietly, Deku shifted to one side so that the man could get past him. Maybe this demon man didn't realise Deku's own status? Deku turned to continue on his way to the bathroom, but he was stopped in his tracks, his blood turned cold.

"Welcome to Kyoto, Izuku Midoriya. Be sure to give Shouto Todoroki my regards."

"Huh?"

But when Deku swivelled back around, the man was already long gone.

Deku was tempted to try and run after him, but he remembered his friends back in their booth and knew better. So he went to them first in a panic, explaining what had happened just now. They all rose to their feet.

"Deku, I'm taking you back to headquarters immediately. Everyone else, search the perimeters… now!" Tenya commanded and while everyone got up to work, he led Deku to the counter to take care of the bill.

 **...**

It didn't take long to race back to the Yoikusa Headquarters, but the news brought back sent Shouto reeling. A demon that knew who Deku really was, but a demon that knew him as well? The description Deku gave of the man in question didn't ring any bells, but the emphasis given on the scent of burning flesh wasn't unfamiliar.

He recalled memories of flames spreading and snaring armies, felling forests and ripping out all life in its path. The Todoroki clan was once so isolated, but the fires drew out the fear and the fury and not even the greatest of walls could keep it out. Only recently did Shouto realise the truth of these walls – it wasn't about keeping outsiders away… it was about keeping the Todoroki contained.

When was it that ice and fire united as one? The two ends of demon-kind collided down the middle, but there was an outlier.

As long as Shouto Todoroki could remember, there were eyes always on him. The assumption he had was that they were watchful eyes to protect him. He was always treated differently from his siblings, from the moment he became the middle ground between the harshest of winters and summers, long and unforgiving. The seasons followed him in unison and called him the 'Prince of Demons', promised the world to him.

Shouto always wondered why he didn't hunger for all that followed him, all that was presented before him.

His father hated the humans and demons who contained the Todoroki. All he saw was the warpath. Shouto wasn't allowed his own dreams and desires, only to talk as expected, walk as expected, fight as expected and more.

Boiling water slashed the side of his face as a woman, his mother, gave into the madness that consumed this isolated, conniving clan. The scent of burning flesh seeped into his nostrils and it haunted him. He remembered startling blues and judgment cast, but who was it?

Trying to recall the smallest of details in a whirlwind of memories was difficult, but Shouto's entire life was a tumultuous chaos beyond all comprehension. There was no room for sense.

Tenya cleared his throat, snapping Shouto out of his thoughts. "Todoroki-fukuchou, what do you propose we do?"

The vice-commander of the Yoikusa furrowed his brows in thought. "All we can do for now is keep an eye out for him, and try apprehend him before he gets away. I doubt this will be the last time that we see this man… in the meantime, I will try and recall a man who fits the description given."

"Understood. I'll go and retrieve the others," Tenya excused himself out of the room, leaving Deku and Shouto alone in the latter's office.

Shouto bit his lip, glancing over at Deku. Neither had the words, but they both came to a quiet understanding. The two had memories lost and it was crucial for them to recover them. Maybe only then could they move forward in their goals. So Shouto resumed his work, trying to figure out the new reporting lines. Yagi-kyokuchou had matters to attend to and entrusted him with the work.

It was only when Deku rose to his feet again that Shouto looked up again. "Stay," was the only word that came out, but his eyes were vulnerable with concern.

Deku nodded, taking a seat. He didn't question his captain's request, so he knelt back down on the tatami. "… Todoroki-san—"

"Shouto." This sharp interjection threw him off, but he wasn't the only one. Shouto reached to run his hands through his hair, anxiety settling in. "When it's just us, 'Shouto' is fine."

"I didn't realise you considered us on a first name basis," admitted Deku, feeling rather awkward about calling Shouto by name.

"… Neither did I," Shouto replied, a similar set of nerves in his voice. "But if there's one thing I know, it's that we're two sides of the same coin… and I don't want you out of my sight."

He wasn't sure why, but such words caused Deku's heart to flutter. There's no point in overthinking it right now though. Another factor dwelled heavily on his mind, his heart, his everything. He had to share it with Shouto, even though he can't grant his wish. "I don't think that's possible… It's not that I don't want to move forward with you o-or the Yoikusa," he tried his best to clarify the meaning of his words. "But as an Inheritor, there's a cap on how often I can use this power."

Shouto nodded slowly. "I had a feeling you were an Inheritor, but I don't know a lot about them… I wanted to tell you, but I didn't have enough information for you either," he admitted, rubbing at his temples. "Deku, I knew it would hurt you to find out and not know where your limit is. Yagi-kyokuchou knows far more than I do…"

Deku smiled ever so slightly. "You don't have to explain yourself, Shouto. There's a lot on your plate."

"You're in my care," countered Shouto, causing the other young man to avert his eyes to the tatami. "… So all the questions surrounding you are amongst my top priorities. They're supposed to be, that is." His voice sounded frustrated. "Being around you reminds me of so many different things, but… they are things I struggle with to this very day."

"… Then let me help you overcome them," offered Deku, shifting to sit next to the other and placing a hand upon his shoulder. Shouto's shoulder was strangely hot to the touch, but he didn't withdraw. "I… It's a bit hard to hear that I remind you of things that aren't easy to think about, but… everytime I look at you I find purpose." His cheeks flushed at his own admission, but he pressed on, "So I want to reiterate what I said before… please don't hide anything from me."

An icy hand placed itself over his own, the sensation balancing out the heat of Shouto's shoulder. Deku's eyes met Shouto's own. It was at this proximity that the heterochromia was more apparent in his vice-commander's eyes, his expression searching for something in Deku.

"Deku… there's a favour I'd like to ask from you… and if you don't want to, I understand, but… I'd like it to be you," Shouto began, his voice filled with hesitation. "Part of the arrangement I have with my wife was that she'd sustain me with blood, so that I could handle the side effects of the Ochimizu. But she's pregnant now… and I know her. She'll still offer her blood to me, even during the pregnancy. I can't—"

It didn't take long for Deku to understand what Shouto was inferring. He saw him struggling with the words – it was certainly a huge thing that Shouto was asking of him. Deku couldn't deny that the concept was frightening, and anyone in their right mind would refuse such a request. But this man already struggled to share himself, and Deku found himself wanting to be depended on. Perhaps it was selfish, arrogant even, but he genuinely wanted to help in any way he could.

He felt it was noble that Shouto was prepared to give up blood just so his wife could go through the pregnancy was as little issues as possible. Shouto didn't speak of his wife often, but Deku could tell he cared for her very much. It wasn't an unhappy match like so many are.

"You can have my blood when you need it," Deku responded firmly. "Did you need it now?"

Shouto pulled back, startled at Deku's offer. His cheeks flushed slightly and he averted his eyes. "No. I don't. I'm fine, but… I'll let you know if… yeah." He cleared his throat. "I do apologise though. That man you encountered today – I'll definitely have him investigated."

 **...**

 **End of May 1864.**

A lot had changed in the structure of the Yoikusa within two weeks. Yagi-kyokuchou was in liaison with Isami Kondou of the Shinsengumi, which stirred up excitement among the Yoikusa ranks. It was agreed upon that during the next major recruitment process that a portion of the men would be transferred straight to the Yoikusa.

Deku noted it all down so he could keep track:

 _Chief of the Yoikusa – Toshinori Yagi_

 _Vice-Commander – Shouto Todoroki (until Shouta Aizawa returns)_

 _First Division Captain – Shouto Todoroki_

 _First Division Vice-Captains – Tenya Iida and Tsuyu Asui_

 _Second Division Captain – Katsuki Bakugou_

 _Second Division Vice-Captains – Denki Kaminari and Ochaco Uraraka_

 _Third Division Captain – Eijirou Kirishima_

 _Third Division Vice-Captains – Mezou Shouji and Hanta Sero_

 _Head Researcher of the Yoikusa – Fumikage Tokoyami_

 _Intel Division – Hitoshi Shinsou and Kyouka Jirou_

He was already aware that he'd be working directly under Shouto, but Deku was happy to have Tenya and Tsuyu joining them as well. Tenya was a very good friend of his, and Tsuyu was kind but sharp. He knew those two would be great vice-captains for Shouto to handle.

Hitoshi was very pleased with his new position working intel too, having struck up a bond with Susumu Yamazaki of the Shinsengumi. Tenya made an interesting comment about how Aizawa had been pushing for Hitoshi to get more opportunities for development – this was definitely a step in the right direction. According to Denki, Kyouka quite enjoyed working with Hitoshi, which was another bonus.

However, Denki was a bit miffed about not being placed with his best friend Hanta. He complained about being demoted too, but he wasn't the only one going from Captain to a Vice-Captain. Tenya was a lenient young man though, and enthusiastic about his new position. A debate ensued for nearly fifteen minutes about who would be the Second Division Captain between Denki and Katsuki. The shouting matches were terrifying, broken up by none other than Ochaco.

"I'm looking forward to us working together!" was all she needed to say to appease Denki. If there was one thing Deku was aware of, was that Denki had a soft spot for cute girls. Kyouka didn't look particularly impressed.

Perhaps the most disappointed of all was Fumikage. He didn't say anything in protest, with his position placing emphasis on being a researcher over a warrior. Mezou gave his partner's hand a squeeze but couldn't say much otherwise. Deku couldn't help but remember that night he caught Fumikage practising with his katana and the promise Tsuyu made. He worried that Yagi-kyokuchou didn't understand Fumikage's wishes – or worse, he did understand but chose to ignore them.

But he couldn't argue with the reality that Fumikage was still recovering, and this was the best position for him in the meantime.

 **...**

 **June 5, 1864.**

The entirety of the Yoikusa were gathered up in the largest hall the headquarters could provide. At the very front were Yagi-kyokuchou and Shouto Todoroki and at the front of the soldiers were the captains and vice-captains. Deku found himself sat next to Shouto, but he wasn't sure if he really belonged in that seat. Shouto really meant it when he said he didn't want Deku out of his sight after all.

Yagi-kyokuchou gave everyone the update – the man who Denki found information on had been captured and arrested by Kanryusai Takeda of the Shinsengumi. It turned out this man was Shuntaro Furutaka and he was involved in a plot to set fire to the cities of Kyoto, kidnapping the Emperor in the confusion to take to Choshu. This information was taken to the Military Commission of Kyoto. Now the Shinsengumi were looking to track down and locate these samurai involved in the plot as per the Military Commissioner's orders.

"The Shinsengumi want to involve us in this mission and have given us the following instructions – the First Division will work under Hijikata-fukuchou of the Shinsengumi, while the Second Division will follow Okita-kumichou's command. The Third Division will be our back-up – should either First or Second Division face trouble, they will call upon the Third Division. Our Intel Division will work with Susumu Yamazaki and Kai Shimada. Get ready to meet with your fellow Shinsengumi upon the Hour of the Monkey. Members of the Yoikusa, you are dismissed!"

"Osu!" came the affirmative cries of the Yoikusa. With that, everyone rose to their feet and hurried to get ready and head to their stations.

Shouto looked to Deku. "You're with me. During this mission, I will be giving orders but in this instance, Hijikata-fukuchou's orders will take precedence over mine. Should he give you an order that contradicts mine, follow his command."

Deku nodded in understanding. "I've heard rumours about Hijikata-fukuchou being a 'demon commander'… should I be worried?"

"That's a nickname," clarified Shouto, slightly amused. "He's a good friend of mine, but I'll admit he's gained a reputation. He's not a demon though, not like you or me."

The green haired young man sighed in relief. That's one concern out of the way. "… Will I have to fight..?"

"Without a doubt. You've done a lot of training, but you won't be on the front lines… even so, it's better to prepare yourself for a fight than to go in unprepared."

"… If our opponents resist arrest, we will have to kill them… won't we?"

Shouto closed his eyes, his expression unreadable. "Yes."

 **...**

Golden rays had become eclipsed by the night hours ago. Kondou-kyokuchou of the Shinsengumi was discussing the situation with Susumu and Hitoshi – they were supposed to be getting back-up not just from the Yoikusa, but from Katamori as well.

From the looks of it though, Katamori isn't turning up anytime soon. The most unimpressed of the bunch to hear this news was Okita-kumichou, irritated on Kondou's behalf. This definitely translated to Katsuki.

He, Denki, Ochaco, and members of the Second Division were under the jurisdiction of Souji Okita, Captain of the Shinsengumi First Division. Ochaco hung back a little, slightly intimidated by the young man – she had heard of his sadistic streak and didn't want to catch his attention.

But she saw as her own captain was chatting in hushed whispers with Souji that they were getting along really well. She hadn't seen Katsuki this enthused in discussion for a long time – he clearly had a lot of respect for the man known as the Sword of the Shinsengumi. Katsuki's own loyalty to Yagi-kyokuchou was said to mirror Souji's devotion to Isami Kondou. Though she was glad to see Katsuki so at ease with another person, Ochaco couldn't help but worry.

Time had passed and Katsuki's condition seemed to have improved, but this mission was bound to make him exert himself more than he has in a long while.

Denki glanced between Ochaco's longing expressions to tbe target of her gaze and raised an eyebrow. Did something happen between her and Katsuki? He contemplated asking, but then a familiar face arrived at the scene.

"Jirou!" grinned Denki, happy to see her face after spending hours mostly with complete strangers. While he was able to greet and chat to Heisuke Toudou earlier, the young captain got distracted by his fellow Shinsengumi captain Shinpachi Nagakura.

Kyouka met his eyes, only nodding in greeting before making her way over to the Chief of the Shinsengumi. "Kyokuchou!" she went down onto one knee in respect, bowing slightly. "Jirou reporting! Ikeda-ya is one of the most significant locations of suspicion. I have strong reason to believe that not only is it housing ronin, but they have demons on their side as well." She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small flier with anti-shogunate propaganda. "I managed to pickpocket this from one of the ronin who was granted access inside Ikeda-ya. Not just anyone is being allowed in there."

Souji's eyes flickered back to his chief commander. "Kondou-san, what do you want to do?"

Kondou-kyokuchou mulled it over, trying to figure out the best course of action. His eyes fell in the direction towards Ikeda-ya. "We need to capture the ronin as quickly as possible," he decided, looking around the group. "We can't wait a moment longer. Souji, Nagakura-kun, Toudou-kun, you're with me. Same with you three," he cast his eyes on the Yoikusa captains. "Bakugou-san, Kaminari-san, Uraraka-san, you're with me."

The trio nodded in understanding, and Kanryusai Takeda, the man who made the arrest earlier in the day, spoke up as well. "Well, I will secure the front entrance, so you all can have at it."

Heisuke raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you not joining us, Takeda-san?"

Souji's eyes had a rather malicious twinkle as he answered Heisuke, "It's fine with me. We don't want him running around in the dark and accidentally stabbing us in the back… or maybe we'll accidentally stab him."

Kanryusai narrowed his eyes in disgust. "What are you suggesting, Okita-kun?"

In that moment, both Ochaco and Denki looked very concerned. Neither knew the pair well enough to say anything, but the air grew thick with tension almost instantly. Katsuki wasn't particularly worried and in fact looked to be nodding in agreement with Souji.

Shinpachi stepped in between the two, playing the middle man. "Now now, if you want someone charging, we want someone who's up to the task. Takeda-san, take care of the outside for us. Someone needs to secure it." Kanryusai merely shrugged it off.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Whatever, if anyone manages to get caught on my blade, it's their fucking fault if they can't dodge."

He earned a laugh from Souji. "Bakugou-kun says very interesting things, doesn't he?"

Kondou-kyokuchou finished giving out orders, with some of the men heading for the back door to Ikeda-ya, while the six he named followed right behind him. He was the first to kick down the door and announce themselves.

"We are the Shinsengumi, retainers of the Lieutenant-General of the Aizu Domain! By Imperial decree, you are all under arrest!" His announcement caused an eruption of panic and yelling from within Ikeda-ya, as well as for his fellow captains to comment with approval, amusement and whatnot. "We act with the authority of the government! Resist, and we will show no mercy!"

With that, the group rushed forward to take prisoners. Nobody came willingly. Ronin tried to rush them with their blades, but they weren't up against any old samurai. These seven were among the very best in Kyoto. Souji and Katsuki took to the front, cutting the first ronin down without hesitation. Seeing their adversaries fall, Ochaco managed to duck in and tap her fingertips to their blades. Focusing carefully, she used her power to hover the fallen ronins' katana above her formation before hurtling them at those rushing down the staircases. It stilled them instantly. Denki side-stepped to one side, releasing a surge of electricity towards one pair of ronin attacking from the left.

Watching the three, it was easy for Kondou-kyokuchou to come to a decision. "Right, we're heading deeper in!" he declared, "Souji and Bakugou, Toudou and Uraraka, take the stairs! The rest of us will cover the rest of the first floor!"

"Osu...!"

The four began to make their way up the stairs, with Katsuki taking the lead on this. He was pumped to be on the attack, determined to prove himself to the other Shinsengumi members.

"Uraraka, we'll take this corridor!" Heisuke instructed, heading for the right while the other two headed left. It didn't take long for Katsuki and Souji to disappear down that way, the former heading for the final room down the end. "Uraraka?!" Heisuke was trying to hurry her along, but she wasn't budging.

Ochaco bit her lip. "Bakugou-kun, and Okita-kumichou – they're heading straight for the demons..! I can sense it..!"

Heisuke frowned. "We've got to handle this lot first! Those two are great swordsmen, they'll be fine!"

"But…" she kept hesitating.

"Uraraka!" Heisuke reached for her wrist and forced her to follow him. They engaged the ronin hiding out on the second floor right side.

Katsuki thumped against the final doorway with his foot. He expected to be met with cowardly ronin who thought they could hide from arrest. The only light that shone into the room with the moonlit glow that enveloped the lone figure who awaited their arrival. It was a sight he'd never seen before. This final ronin was lanky in build, but he induced a feeling of fear that Katsuki hadn't encountered in his life, nothing he could recall.

But undead demonic claws that had been detached long ago dug into the arms of this slim man. His mop of straggly hair matched the glow of the moon and he was clad in all black clothing from head to toe. The attire suggested a ninja, but the swords at his hip showed an advanced samurai. What unnerved Katsuki more than anything else was his face, how it played host to one final corpse hand that concealed him.

He pointed his katana in the direction of the man, who simply sat on the window edge, looking out into the distance. There was no care for the apprehending officer, and it pissed Katsuki off.

"Turn your ugly mug over here!" Katsuki demanded, taking a step closer. "You're under arrest for being part of this plot against the shogunate! Fucking Choshu scum!" He received no answer, testing his patience. "… Fuck it. Die already!"

When he rushed forward and swung his katana at this stranger, Katsuki was certain he succeeded in the kill.

However, when he attempted to draw his blade back, red eyes stared as steel disintegrated into nothing under the other's hand.

* * *

 **next chapter: the battle at Ikeda-ya truly begins. A new faction is introduced, one that could potentially cease the existence of demons for good.**


	8. chapter seven: never black and white

**I thought characterizing the villains was honestly gonna kill me during this chapter, but when I stripped away the black and white the writing flowed so much more easily. The events of this chapter will certainly foreshadow things to come, I can promise that. One of the future reveals I find pretty obvious, but you'll see, haha.**

* * *

 **chapter seven: it was never black and white.**

 **...**

 **June 5, 1864.**

 **...**

The blade that Katsuki had handled as his primary katana since before joining the Yoikusa turned to dust before his very eyes. His most valued possession, the weapon that made him the warrior he is today, was completely ruined. He saw as the decaying effect spread to the handle and was forced to ditch it. Before he could react further, a powerful kick to his stomach sent him crashing up against the wall. Blood splattered from his mouth, and when Katsuki looked up, this man's hand was already recovering from having gripped the blade before.

This stranger's demon power must be something to do with touch and turning objects to dust. But if it wasn't just object, Katsuki knew he was in trouble. He managed to push himself to his feet and pull his secondary blade, a smaller partner sword to his main katana.

Souji arrived to the scene, having completed some arrests. "I heard a crashing noise and thought it might have been a victim to your blade, Bakugou-kun…" he began, assessing the situation before him. "But we've got a real freak of a demon here, haven't we?" A normal man would be shocked, even horrified, but Souji was far from ordinary.

Katsuki scoffed. "Be fucking cautious with that bastard," he growled, a bit wounded at proving Souji's initial assumption wrong. "His power seems to be turning shit to dust. I'll get him for destroying my katana!" Katsuki was about to launch into his next attack, when Souji blocked his path with an arm.

"Hmmm…" Souji noted the ruined katana on the floor. "That's a real interesting ability, I'll give him that. So, demon, do you have a name? Why are demons getting involved with Choshu's plot?"

Finally, the stranger's head turned in the direction of Souji Okita. It was impossible to know what the man was thinking, or feeling. Having those demonic hands cling to him was jarring and increasing that sense of unpredictability. Souji removed his arm from Katsuki's path, changing his stance as the stranger took a step forward.

"I have no interest in Choshu's agenda," the man spoke coolly, unconcerned with the fact he was outnumbered two to one. "But I don't see why demons can't get involved with Choshu, when you have demons aligned with the shogunate…" he chuckled lowly, having pointed out the hypocrisy in Souji's question. Katsuki gritted his teeth. "The shogunate itself is already falling apart – I don't really need to do anything."

Katsuki took a step forward as well, beginning to close the distance between himself and the stranger. "Then why the fuck are you here?"

The stranger only seemed amused by such a question, his hand reaching forward in a taunting manner. His opponents were already aware of his power, but it doesn't seem as though they have a plan to get around it just yet. "The Yoikusa's ambitions revolve around eradicating the Ochimizu and reducing the demons' role in human affairs to protect this nation. It's a sad purpose to witness… a young powerless inheritor like yourself may not remember, but humankind have spent centuries trying to destroy demons for good. However, if demons themselves work hard and prove themselves to be loyal to the government and get rid of the 'bad demons' – then Japan will let them continue to exist. Are you happy to be alive purely because your shogunate allows it?"

He refused to let the stranger's words rattle him. Right now this man needed to die, and he would process the words later. Instead he observed the man's stance, trying to sense what his fighting style may be. Souji had already worked it out, judging by the adjustment in his positioning. Katsuki took a deep breath – the stranger's stance resembled Tenya Iida and Hajime Saito. He's another quick draw. That would explain the speed in which he was able to reduce Katsuki's blade into nothing.

"I don't need any fucker's permission to exist," retorted Katsuki, adjusting his steps. "As long as I can fight, that's all I need."

"Is that so? I suppose as an inheritor, you get to slip through that gap between human and demon…" the stranger mused. "You can slide into whichever race suits you, really. Humans aren't threatened by the likes of you. But I am curious about what your comrades really think… Ochaco Uraraka, Denki Kaminari… shall we ask them?"

The mention of his fellow captains got Katsuki's blood boiling. He lunged for the stranger with his blade, but his quickdraw allowed him to block with his own katana. Instead of pushing against his blade, Katsuki took a new approach to attack from another angle. He was blocked again, but from his movements Katsuki realised that he'd pushed this man to the defensive. They didn't need to keep it up for long though, as Souji's blade thrust into the space to cleanly stab through the hand covering the stranger's face. To his shock, claws dug in tighter to the man's face, refusing to remove itself despite the blade that drove itself in and out.

Souji was relentless though - as soon he inflicted damage to one hand, he targeted the next one until all the hands that clung to the stranger were spilling blood.

A piercing shriek erupted through Ikeda-ya as the stranger stepped back. The blade narrowly missed his actual face, much to Souji's disappointment. He reached for the clawlike hand concealing him, but hesitated just before making contact. Despite the rotting appearance of the hands that clung to his body, they seemed to heal the way a regular demon's flesh would.

Just by targeting that hand, a switch was flipped inside the stranger's mind. He charged Souji with all his might, too fast for either to react. The next thing Katsuki knew, Souji was crashing through the door and scraping along the floor down the corridor. He heard a groan and then loud coughing and spluttering noises. But Katsuki couldn't let himself be distracted, already preparing himself to dodge or block the next onslaught of attacks.

Now that he got to witness this man's agility, Katsuki was able to keep up just barely. The only thing that blocked the stranger from taking full advantage was the lack of space this room offered. But it was a double-edged sword, with Katsuki knowing he had less space to dodge.

One thing that Katsuki was growing wary of was the large window the stranger had been staring out of before. He knew that if he were able to knock the man out, the two storey fall would certainly cause major injury but what if he was the one who fell instead?

A hasty dodge caused Katsuki to fall back against the window glass, managing only barely not to shatter it. But the stranger now had him backed and unable to move. Right now he could go for a killing blow, and Katsuki knew his only means of escaping death would be to take a gamble with the window. He mentally prepared himself for doing so, but the impact of having his back slam against the sheet of glass threw him off again.

Katsuki doubled over as he fell to the floor, choking on the blood lurching up his throat. The stranger took a step back, his hand covering the withering expression of his face.

"I was expecting better from the Sword of the Yoikusa," he spoke, disappointment lacing his tone of voice. "… Your condition hasn't improved since Shimabara, has it?" He laughed as Katsuki's head snapped back up to look at him. "That's right… you were coughing up a storm in that bathroom, it was quite pitiful. I was outside nearly the whole time… after all, rumour has it you're the one who will inherit One for All. But in that condition…" he cackled some more. "This is too funny – all your efforts are going up in smoke at this rate. What was it you said? That as long as you can fight, that's all you need?" His merriment died down almost instantly as he slammed his foot into Katsuki's stomach, making his symptoms worse. "You won't even be able to fight! You will remain a powerless Inheritor for the rest of your days, Katsuki Bakugou. I, Tomura Shigaraki, pity your existence the way it is right now… but I can help you."

"Leave him alone..!"

Just as Katsuki was able to turn his head to look up at the man who announced his name, the same door that Souji crashed through before was thrown back in with brutal force. The door slammed against Tomura and together they smashed through the window and hurtled to the ground below.

Ochaco rushed into the room and went straight to Katsuki's side, now that she was certain her attack worked and the man wasn't returning. "Bakugou-kun, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, I'm so sorry..! I'm here for you." Her panicked voice faded though, as Katsuki slipped into unconsciousness. She noticed that, using her power to help making lifting him easier. Before she left the room, she looked out the window to see if the man was still there.

All she saw on the ground below was the door breaking down into dust. The demon himself had disappeared.

 **...**

Having realised that Katamori weren't on their way to back up Kondou and the others, Toshizou Hijikata had ordered his group to make their way over as that back up. They hurried through the darkness of the night, not wasting time towards anything. Deku was surprised at how well he was able to keep up with the others, though he worried that he might be too tired to fight by the time they arrive.

Shouto was at the front of the group with Toshizou and Tenya, leading the way through the streets. Tsuyu stuck alongside Deku, though he was certain she could go faster than this.

"You don't have to slow down because of me," Deku breathed out, feeling more like a burden than useful.

Tsuyu shook her head. "I was instructed to keep an eye on you – this is your first mission, kero."

Deku bit his lip, hoping that this instruction wouldn't cost her or anyone else in the group. It made sense though, as the one newest to all this, Deku had to be monitored. That wasn't the only reason. His Phoenix Heart could get targeted on a night like this. Even if the focus of the night was on Choshu and their mission against the shogunate, there may be outliers who could take advantage of the chaos.

The group halted at the noise of a blood curdling scream from the direction of Ikeda-ya. Such a noise sent shivers down Deku's spine, but he was far from being the only one disturbed by the sound. Tenya was instructed by Toshizou to scout ahead of the group, with the rest following 50 metres behind. Shouto's eyes went wide as blue flames spurted out from the rooftops in the direction of the running Tenya. The source of the flame was knocked aside, causing the attack to narrowly miss him.

Tenya was relieved not to have been hit, but the heat near his back sent his heart racing. Someone intercepted the attack and that was good enough for him. He carried onwards.

Getting a closer look, a battle had started upon the rooftops of this district and Shouto realised it was Kyouka up there. He turned to Toshizou and requested to go and help, to which the latter agreed. Tsuyu used her power to help lift Shouto and toss him into the fray, allowing for Shouto to generate ice in the direction of the enemy.

Toshizou instructed the rest of the group to continue following him to Ikeda-ya, but Deku wouldn't budge. Beneath the glow of the moon, Deku recognised the man from before. His burns and scars, and judging by the fact Shouto was using his power already meant he was no ordinary opponent.

Not even Tsuyu's insisting was going to make Deku abandon Shouto and Kyouka, even though he couldn't go up and help them fight. He was aware he'd just be a liability for the pair if he went up there as well. Kyouka was doing her best to stay at a distance, avoiding both the enemy's flames and Shouto's own flurry of attacks. She was searching for an opening, but between two demons it was impossible.

The enemy was able to melt Shouto's flames easily, but instead of following up with another attack he raised his hands in some form of momentary truce. "Shouto Todoroki, it's been a long time," he spoke coolly, no sense of panic or urgency in his voice. "I imagine the Yaoyorozu kunoichi was coming to update you on our leader's presence. He won't be staying for long, do not worry. By the way, Enji Todoroki was quite interested to hear about your wife's pregnancy."

Kyouka gasped, but as she was about to launch her attack Tsuyu's tongue shot out to yank her off the rooftops to miss the enemy's flames. It was a close call between life and death for the girl, who realised this man had baited her into the attack.

Shouto's expression darkened in a way Deku had never seen before. "He will never get to have a part in my child's life," he growled enough for the other to hear him. "And neither will you. Don't talk as if you know me."

He quirked a brow. "You really don't remember me, do you? I thought Izuku Midoriya might have helped you recall something…" he cast his eyes towards the aforementioned young man, who watched on with fearful eyes. Just as he brought Deku up, Shouto could sense the approach of ronin towards their location. He turned to yell at Tsuyu, but the man intercepted him with his blade forcing Shouto to dodge. "It's rude to try and cut someone off when they're trying to have a conversation."

Tsuyu realised what was happening though. "Deku-chan, Jirou-chan, get ready to fight."

Deku's eyes went wide. "Reinforcements for Choshu?"

"That's right!" Kyouka's kunai sliced through the air, digging into the necks of the first three ronin who emerged from the side streets. Deku watched helplessly as the two girls took the lead in the attack, and as Shouto was crossing blades with the demon on the rooftops. He tried to assess the scene as best as he could, trying to figure the best course of action.

These extra ronin weren't demons, and Deku had faith that the two girls had this situation under control. But Shouto had a powerful opponent, and Deku wanted to back him up. Would he be helpful if he stepped in too? His Phoenix Heart wouldn't die to those flames at least, Deku could feel it. Without dwelling on indecision any further, Deku slipped off to try find a way to climb to the rooftops.

Before he got too far, he felt something coil around his waist. He turned his head and realised Tsuyu was using her power to help him get up there. She had to do a bit of a toss due to the hurry, but Deku managed not to roll too much with the impact.

"Thank you, Tsu..!" he called to her.

"Be careful – I'll be with you soon!" Tsuyu called back to him, plunging her katana into a ronin that tried to get her while she appeared distracted.

Tsuyu made sure that Deku wasn't thrown right into the fray, so he had a chance to make a new assessment of the situation from above. Deku scanned the area and to his relief, could see Tenya and Denki sprinting towards where the girls were fighting. But Shouto and the man had crossed blades and were pushing against one another. A powerful swirling energy surrounded the pair, and when Deku peered more closely he realised it was flames. Shouto's red flames versus blue.

He'd never seen any demon display such intensity with their power and it almost left Deku in awe. But as he drew closer, he saw a furious desperation in Shouto's expression that worried him. It took every inch of his willpower not to call out to him, knowing it would provide the man with an opening to strike.

With his peripheral vision, Shouto had realised that Deku made his way to the rooftops. That's when he began to sidestep and push the other so his back would be open to Deku. "You're so interested in having me know who you are," barked Shouto, "Go on!"

"Dabi," the man answered simply, "and we're much closer than you realise… Shouto."

"Don't lie," Shouto growled, refusing to acknowledge the possibility.

Dabi's lips quirked into a small smile of malice. "We could kill him together, you know…" Such a suggestion caused Shouto to pause, flames flickering with questions. "Enji Todoroki allowed for all this to happen so that demonkind may surpass humanity at long last. The Shogunate doesn't deserve your efforts, they don't deserve the Yoikusa." Dabi's voice was full of bitterness, though his expression hardly changed. "But the Ochimizu is an insult to our kind. You know that, I know that."

Shouto bit his lip, unsure how to respond. He sensed a passion in the other's words, though he couldn't fully grasp Dabi and his supposed connection to him. "You don't work with the Yoikusa… but you don't work with my father either. What is your goal?"

"Kaibyaku Kodo Tai," answered Dabi, "We don't think that it's wrong for demonkind to seize governing power over humans, not after the way they've oppressed us for so long. But doing so with the use of Ochimizu? Those humans don't deserve even one drop of our being! The fact it was forced upon you as well, Shouto – I know you despised it with every inch of your being. I saw it all. We could cure that part of you. The organisation—"

A blade pierced through Dabi's shoulder as he spoke, cutting off his words in an instant. Turning his head ever so slightly, he saw the young man he'd come across some weeks ago – Izuku Midoriya. He held the katana that had stabbed through him, shocking Dabi to the core.

"You..!" he scowled, disgusted that Shouto got him to talk with the full intention of letting that brat get in the attack. Not only that, but he had no idea of such a plan. If it wasn't for the flames that surrounded him, Deku could have targeted a vital more easily. "Izuku Midoriya… I'll destroy you."

As Dabi tried to spread his flames in a fell swoop, Shouto ran for Deku and wrapped his arms around him. Then he used his ice power to slide them down from the rooftops to meet with the others who finished dealing to the ronin. From the corner of Deku's eye, he could see a newcomer show up to help Dabi make his own escape. The current threat was gone, but they knew it wouldn't be the last time they encounter one another.

Shouto released Deku from his grasp once he was certain they were safe. "You shouldn't have acted alone, but… you did well, Deku."

Deku bowed his head as deeply as possible while he stood. "Please forgive me, Todoroki-fukuchou! It was wrong of me to act alone… My intentions were to help you, but I realise I could have made everything worse. I apologise for my careless actions! I'm not even sure I did well, I could have—"

"No, you did well," Shouto shook his head, noting silently at the singed appearance of Deku's clothing. "Not even someone like Bakugou would have been able to get close enough to target a vital. Your Phoenix Heart let you breach the wall of flames around us."

"Shouto…"

Tsuyu jogged over to check on the two, while Tenya was barking out orders for other Shinsengumi and Yoikusa soldiers to clear the bodies at the scene. "Forgive me, Todoroki-chan, I was supposed to stick by him. That was what I was instructed."

"… Asui-san, you did the best you could given the circumstances. I forgive you," Shouto answered, "It was Deku who acted alone." Deku immediately averted his eyes. "I'm not angry at you… just don't do it again."

"I won't, I promise!" insisted Deku.

Kyouka came rushing over to Shouto once she'd patched herself up, Denki in tow. "Todoroki-fukuchou, I'm going to check on the Yaoyorozu family! That man said things that make me worry about her safety. I need to be sure she's alright."

"I'm going with Jirou to back her up," announced Denki, "and for the record, we're not asking your permission. You have to report on tonight's events, so we'll handle this for you."

Shouto's eyes were wide at first, seeing Kyouka and Denki take such a valuable initiative. He was this close to heading off on his own to check on Momo, but the pair were right to do this. Still, his expression was frustrated. He wanted to be there for her, but as the Vice-Commander of the Yoikusa, he cannot. "I'm counting on you. Ensure my wife and child's safety."

"Right!" Kyouka and Denki rushed on ahead back to headquarters, retrieving horses to speed up the journey to the Yaoyorozu estate.

"… Deku, head with Asui-san and Iida-san back to headquarters," instructed Shouto, "I'm going to rejoin Hijikata-fukuchou and report on tonight."

"About that..!" Tenya called out to the other three, approaching them. "… Bakugou-kumichou cannot join you for that meeting. He's currently unconscious and being taken back to headquarters as well. Uraraka-kun will be joining you instead."

Deku gasped. "Kacchan's unconscious?!" He didn't think it was remotely possible for anyone to overpower Katsuki like that.

Tenya nodded solemnly. "I only saw him briefly, but he was covered in blood – Uraraka-kun wanted to go back with him, but Kondou-kyokuchou wanted her to stay back with them. From that I gather, Okita-kumichou is unconscious as well while Nagakura-kumichou and Toudou-kumichou sustained injuries too. But the threat has been dealt to, many arrests have been made… Kondou-kyokuchou is calling it a victory."

There were frowns or looks of uncertainty on everyone's faces. Such a statement couldn't be agreed upon. Not entirely.

 **...**

Eijirou was hanging outside Katsuki's room with worry, awaiting the news from Shuzenji-sensei. When he heard that not only was he injured and covered in blood, but he got knocked out by a demon, Eijirou's mind went blank. He couldn't imagine such an amazing and strong samurai as Katsuki losing like that. If it weren't for Ochaco's surprise attack, maybe his best friend wouldn't be here anymore.

Such a thought shook him to the core. If only he was out there, he could have helped Katsuki and he wouldn't be under medical care.

Nobody trusted Eijirou to be in that room with him though. Hanta and Mezou were in there helping Shuzenji-sensei, but Eijirou was forbidden due to the possibility of bloodlust. Since Ochaco's revelation, Eijirou had been improving his condition, but Fumikage refused for him to go in there. His word came above all the rest when it came to the Ochimizu.

Fumikage stood beside Eijirou, awaiting the news as well. With his own condition, he wasn't in any state to care for Katsuki either.

"If you want to hate me for not letting you be in there with him, I understand," Fumikage broke the silence between the pair, his voice low.

A cool breeze brushed down the corridor as Eijirou took in the words of the Head Researcher of the Yoikusa.

"I think this must be how Shouji felt when it was you getting treatment…" admitted Eijirou, a hand over his chest. It was painful being out here. He just wanted to be at Katsuki's side. "… But you wanted him to be there too."

"Bakugou would want you in there," replied Fumikage, hoping to provide some form of comfort. He wasn't very good with this kind of situation, but Eijirou could sense the sentiments in his words.

Despite that, he disagreed with a shake of his head. "It's not the same. We don't share mutual feelings. His main concern has always been with Yagi-kyokuchou and serving the Yoikusa," he explained, resigned to the circumstances. "I admire him as a warrior, he treats me like an equal on the battlefield and I know that despite the current strain in our friendship, we have a bond that can overcome anything. Bakugou feels that way too, I know he does, but…" he didn't want to finish his sentence. He already knew.

Katsuki's feelings were not love, not the kind Eijirou hoped for. Fumikage recognised that. In society, a romantic love between men was almost unheard of. It was a miracle when Mezou returned his feelings, but Fumikage knew it was a rare exception. They still couldn't be open in public about this love, their families back home had no idea of their relationship. Not only was it two males, but he was human and Mezou was a demon. Only within the Yoikusa could they get away with this.

So it wasn't a surprise to Fumikage if such thoughts had never crossed Katsuki's mind. He'd often heard Denki and Hanta commenting that none of the geisha interested the man and that he'd never had a relationship before. To the pair, this came across strange, but to Fumikage it was what he expected.

"It's not impossible," Fumikage spoke, though it was to his own surprise. "We won't be fighting as the Yoikusa forever. Things can change."

Eijirou smiled slightly. "Look, I just want everyone to be happy. I don't need these feelings returned, y'know?"

"I understand."

The pair went silent again, waiting for further news. After what seemed like forever, Mezou finally emerged to explain the situation. According to the doctor, Katsuki has some broken ribs and will recover from that just fine. He has to take a break from his work for a while because of it, but that wasn't the main issue. Katsuki was having trouble with his lungs from the looks of it, but the doctor believes he should recover from it as long as he doesn't exert himself too much.

While Eijirou was visibly relieved, Fumikage was a difficult read. He was glad for Katsuki, but knowing others were sustaining damages but could keep going as a samurai was tough for him to acknowledge.

Mezou noticed Fumikage's body stiffen, unsure what to say. He reached for his hand gently. "I'm tired. Let's turn in for the night… you look like you need to rest too."

Fumikage hesitated for a moment, before lacing his fingers with Mezou's. "Alright. Kirishima, you should sleep as well."

Eijirou shrugged. "Soon. I'll wait for Uraraka to get back to give her the update… also to thank her for protecting Bakugou." For doing what he wasn't there to do, Eijirou thought silently, but these were words he intended to keep to himself. It wasn't that he was bitter towards her. The Ochimizu hadn't given him a lot to work with, but it came with many regrets.

From the moment he drank it, Eijirou had sworn to push down his feelings for his best friend.

It was easier said than done.

 **...**

 **Early hours, June 6, 1864.**

It was well into the early hours of the morning when Kyouka and Denki had turned up at the Yaoyorozu estate. Most of the area was quieter than death itself, and the pair stirred up a racket with their arrival. Neither was apologetic for the disturbance, and when Kyouka finally made it to Momo's quarters she practically threw herself into her arms, trembling with worry and fear. Denki had never seen Kyouka display such emotion, but he remained quiet, staying out of the room.

Momo furrowed her brows, confused about what was going on. "Kyouka..? Please tell me what's going on…"

Kyouka bit her lip, unsure where to begin. "The mission we had tonight… one of the enemies knew about your pregnancy – he even said Enji Todoroki was interested – it definitely sounded like a threat." Her arms around Momo tightened. "I know Todoroki-fukuchou wants his father to have nothing to do with the baby, but I don't know who gave them that information."

These words sent Momo's head spinning – the estate hadn't had any visitors who would have left with this information. She had faith that the information hadn't gone public through the Yoikusa. So who spread the word? She mulled over the Yaoyorozu's security, trying to find a gap, a leak. No one came to mind, no one seemed to behave out of the ordinary.

Then again, Momo didn't think she needed to look out for such things. She was blissful with the knowledge that Shouto was wanting this baby as much as she does, as well as Itsuka wanting to name her the godmother to her child who would be due later this month.

Suddenly Momo pushed Kyouka away, pushing herself from her western mattress and reaching for a pail. She felt nauseous, not only from Kyouka's news but also her general sickness from the pregnancy.

Kyouka rushed to the door with the intention of calling a nurse, but Momo's faint voice telling her to stay kept her there. "Yaoyorozu-sama..?" she enquired softly, returning to her side. "… I'm here for you." She massaged small circles into Momo's back as she went through the motions of sickness. "I came as soon as the battle was finished… your husband had to tend to business with the Shinsengumi. I'm sorry, I know I've shocked you with this."

Momo choked back a sob. "I may not look it, but I've been… okay. The baby is safe…" she rubbed a hand over her growing stomach. "I'm anxious, but I've got to stay strong. Let Shouto know that I'm safe, the baby is safe, I love him and… I want him to be safe as well."

The kunoichi nodded, finding a jug of water to pour over a cloth to dab at Momo's forehead. She seemed feverish from the shock. "I'll let him know… but please, let me arrange for increased security here. I'm scared for you."

Smiling softly, Momo pulled her into another embrace, much warmer than the last. "Thank you for worrying about me. You truly are my best friend in the whole world," she told her gently, and Kyouka felt those words with her heart. "I really am glad you came to see me." She pulled back after a few moments, but left her hands on Kyouka's shoulders. "Please call for the nurse… and get some rest. You and Kaminari-san can help yourself to the guest rooms."

"… Alright," Kyouka got up reluctantly, but she was exhausted. So she did as she was told and called for a nurse before proceeding to join Denki who was waiting outside for her. "… Sorry to keep you waiting."

Denki gave her a half-smile, stretching his arms as he got back on his feet. "Jirou, it's fine. No need to apologise for anything. Is Yaoyoro—" he stopped speaking as Kyouka leaned into him, resting her head against his chest. Her arms remained at her side, but her small frame was trembling against his own. She wouldn't let him see her face, though Denki was certainly the girl was crying. Very carefully, he wrapped his arms around her and that's what finally exposed Kyouka's muffled sobs.

His expression was crestfallen. Kyouka always acted so strong and like nothing bothered her, just as she was taught in her shinobi training. Just like anyone else however, Kyouka had a vulnerable heart that worried for those she deemed precious. Without thinking, Denki shifted a hand from the small of her back to running his fingers through her hair gently. In return, Kyouka's shaky arms wrapped themselves around Denki and refused to let go. He took a couple steps so his back was to the wall, and Kyouka followed him there.

The pair remained in their tight embrace for a while, even as the nurse came by to properly check on Momo's condition. They could hear faint sobs from Momo herself, tears she was hiding from Kyouka. Denki knew that it would break Kyouka's heart to know Momo was in far more pain than she was letting on. He pulled Kyouka away slightly to take her hand, leading her towards the guest quarters.

He didn't know the way there, but servants directed them and proceeded to set the rooms up for the two guests. "… I better let you get to your room, Kyouka."

"No, stay. Please."

"… Okay." If she needed him to be there for her, he would never leave her side.

Once the room was set up for the two, with a futon each laying side by side, Denki and Kyouka head in and prepared themselves for sleep. They didn't look at one another as they changed into bedclothes that were provided for them. Only when they got beneath their respective covers did Denki finally get to make eye contact with Kyouka once more.

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and it pained Denki to see her like this. But even so, he could felt the strength of Kyouka's love for her friend and the fear she had for her. She truly cared.

"… Kaminari… I think I should leave the Yoikusa." Her voice was above a whisper, her eyes flickering to Denki's hand as he reached for her own. "… at least during Momo's pregnancy… I can't… what if someone targets her, please…"

He squeezed her hand. "You don't have to explain yourself. Todoroki will understand… You're protecting his wife, y'know..? Can't argue with that."

Kyouka nodded a little. "I'm going to put in a formal request… I'll stay with her until she's settled in with the baby. That means I'll be gone until November. I'm not far away though, I just won't be at headquarters as much…"

Denki shuffled in his futon a little, freeing up his other hand to flick her forehead gently. "I'll miss you all the same, Kyouka."

"Mmm…" she swatted his hand away, though she let the one holding her own remain. "Just don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"I'll save the stupidity for when you're back then!" he joked, earning himself a half-hearted glare. "… Yaoyorozu's really lucky to have a friend like you."

Her cheeks reddened at Denki's words. He was being so kind and supportive, and she didn't know how to answer him. The fact he came out to the Yaoyorozu Estate when Kyouka was prepared to go it alone, the warmth in his embrace when she needed to be held and his understanding words. She didn't realise Denki could be this reliable. Or maybe he always was this reliable, and she was just oblivious to it.

Whichever it was, Kyouka didn't ponder it too long.

"Saying things like that… sheesh. I might even miss you too," she muttered lowly, causing a big grin to form on Denki's face. Seeing that face was too much for her, and finally she turned to lay flat on her back. "Night, Denki."

"Night, Kyouka."

In the midst of all this turmoil, where it was impossible to predict what the next day would bring, and a phase of too much quiet was like a horrible omen, Denki found himself loving Kyouka all the more. She had this quiet strength about her, and this loyal heart. Kyouka took her work very seriously, but she never sought praise for it. Denki felt she had so many admirable qualities that she didn't seem to notice in herself, and he had such an urge to tell her all about them. Her dedication was incredible. But Kyouka's primary focus and concern was Momo right now, and he wanted nothing more than for Kyouka to feel her friend was safe and secure.

Kyouka can take as long as she needs, Denki thought to himself, realising he could wait forever for her return if he had to. Even though he knew himself to be social and flirtatious, as fickle as can be, Denki knew that when it came to Kyouka, he could have a patient love.

 **...**

Deku awoke to the sound of paper being slid under his door. He sat up slowly, wondering what the message was. A few minutes later he heard a rooster crow in the distance, sounding his cue to get up and take a look. The paper wasn't high quality, more like a ripped scrap for a throwaway message. He saw that on one side, this letter was addressed to him.

But it was under his real name – Izuku Midoriya. Deku felt himself breaking into a cold sweat, knowing that nobody was supposed to be using his real name around the Yoikusa. Previous messages from comrades always used 'Deku' if a name was mentioned.

Turning the paper over, Deku's heart stopped upon reading the words.

 _To my son, Izuku,_

 _I understand you may be shocked to hear from me all this time. When I found out you were with the Yoikusa, I too was surprised. I'm so glad you managed to survive this long after your banishment from Aldera. You truly are a brilliant young man. I am doing well too, but I cannot reveal myself to you just yet._

 _Your handling of the Phoenix Heart is so much better now, from what I've heard. I wish I was able to tell you sooner about conserving that power._

 _You are probably wondering why I have written to you. I need to warn you about something. The Shogunate will exploit you if they learn of the Phoenix Heart. They intend to steal Toshinori Yagi's One for All once he nears the end of his Inheritor life._

 _As an Inheritor, you are able to take more than one power._

 _Acquire One for All when the opportunity arises. Do not let such a grand power fall into the wrong hands._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Hizashi Midoriya._

* * *

 **next chapter: Deku questions what to do in regards to the letter from his father. The Yoikusa are introduced to the new members that Tsuyu recruited a while back.**


	9. chapter eight: the weight

**hey gang! Sorry this update took a while, I was in the process of moving house. I'm living away from the family now, paying my own bills and everything, solid adulting stuff, haha. I hope this chapter was worth the wait though, please enjoy!**

* * *

 **chapter eight: weight.**

...

 **June 20, 1864.**

 **...**

Deku found himself unable to bring the letter up to anyone. Everytime he was alone he kept mulling over it, but his mind would always reach a fork in the path of what to do. There were moments he was assisting Shouto with the paperwork and he'd almost blurt it out, but something held him back. It was pathetic, Deku knew that, but he felt that having the contents of the letter being known to others would endanger them. After his rash actions on the night of the Ikeda-ya Incident, Deku was hesitant to do anything out of the ordinary.

He brought in a tray of tea to serve Shouto, who was accompanied by his vice-captains Tenya and Tsuyu. They were all working on paperwork together, as well as the allocating of rooms for the newcomers.

Tsuyu had gone on a journey some months back to recruit Sekijiro Kan and his faction to join the Yoikusa. Considering everything that had happened recently, more allies was a welcome change for some. "The timing has come about really well for you, hasn't it, Iida-chan?" Tsuyu quipped, "You'll be on leave for the rest of the month to take care of your family, kero."

Deku blinked at first, but then he remembered Tsuyu's words back in May. "Your wife is giving birth to your second child very soon, isn't she? That's exciting!"

Tenya was beaming with pride. "Yes! I leave tomorrow morning to join Mei and our daughter Tenri!" he responded with a huge grin. "I am very much looking forward to meeting my next child as well as spending time with my girls. Tenri is looking forward to being a big sister and my wife has always adored babies! Deku-kun, I hope you get to meet my family someday!"

Before Tenya could go into the full speech about his family, Shouto cut in, "Kendou-san gives birth very soon too. Maybe even the same day as Iida-dono..?"

"Ah! That would certainly be something to bond with Tetsutetsu-san over!" Tenya was always happy if he could find some form of common ground with others to the point of hyper-fixation. However, Deku recalled Eijirou's description of Tetsutetsu, so perhaps the dynamic of the two fathers might work out after all.

It was nice to have positive news after everything that happened. Deku knew everyone was reeling with all that happened. Katsuki was still bedridden, but he was able to speak of a Tomura Shigaraki, a demon with many severed hands of his kind, and that the man's motives aligned with Dabi well. The Kaibyaku Kodo Tai was the group mentioned, and their intent wasn't just to overthrow the shogunate, but to overthrow humankind as a whole.

Knowing that such a powerful group existed was frightening. Dabi's hatred for the Ochimizu stood out, and it made Deku wary of his father.

He wasn't sure of the kind of man Hisashi was anymore, but Deku feared for him. At least if the Yoikusa got ahold of him, they could attempt to work things out. If Hisashi ended up in the hands of the Kaibyaku Kodo Tai, he would be undoubtedly tortured for information before the slaughter.

That being said, Katsuki was doubtful of the group's stance against the Ochimizu. While Dabi showed an obvious dislike for the concoction, Tomura didn't appear to mention any particular opinion on it. Perhaps there were some differing opinions within the group? Shouto said he didn't care too greatly about the personal opinions of his enemies, just the fact they seek to destroy the Japanese government. That enough made them a huge problem.

What's more, it's been a lot of time since a "Nomu" was brought back for interrogation and nothing was gotten out of the being. They said it had been distributing the Ochimizu, but according to Aizawa it was a lost cause. Even though Fumikage and Mezou carried out a lot of tests, they came back with only two pieces of information – it was a spliced being with multiple demons' DNA combined into one; and that every piece of demon DNA had Inheritor aspects to them. It was only after Ikeda-ya that Fumikage reported their findings.

This was because the night of the Ikeda-ya Incident was also the night in which the Nomu went missing. This was alarming, considering it was being kept in a specially made underground cell that was difficult to access. It was only the morning after when they realised the Nomu was gone, the very same morning Deku received his letter.

Someone breached security and left not a single trace of evidence to chase down the culprit. So much hung over everyone's heads and Deku could see how much stress Shouto was going through. He didn't reveal it to Tenya or Tsuyu either, only Deku.

These past few days, Shouto only vented his true thoughts when alone with him. While Deku was glad that he was starting to open up to him, it was difficult to console him at times. It made Deku push down his own concerns even further, and he felt hypocritical in Shouto's presence. After all those moments of telling Shouto to share everything with him, Deku struggled to do the same in return. He felt awful.

"… Todoroki-fukuchou, may I borrow Deku-chan for a while?" Tsuyu broke into Deku's thoughts and brought him back to the present. He was a bit startled, but he looked for Shouto's word on the query.

Shouto nodded. "That's fine. I want to discuss some things with Iida anyway."

Deku followed Tsuyu out of the room in silence. Truthfully, being around the girl made him nervous in so many ways. It wasn't just the fact she was brilliant in combat or her smarts or how she was cute but unique, none of those things. Tsuyu's sharpness combined with her blunt nature was terrifying. What if she already knew something was up?

She led Deku to her headquarters and ushered him inside. Tsuyu was being cautious, making sure no one could be listening in before she closed the door behind her. Deku was anxious as he took a seat by the table in her room. He'd never been in a girl's room before, and it was nerve-wracking. Tsuyu's room was neat and tidy, containing lots of green ornaments and fresh ikebana arrangements.

Finally she sat opposite him, a serious expression adorning her face. "Has Tokoyami-chan been bothering you lately? You aren't acting like yourself."

"Tokoyami-san?!" Deku was startled, but Tsuyu put a finger to her lips and shushed him. He lowered his voice, but couldn't hide the confusion. "I-It's sad what he is going through, but it's not… well, it does bother me, but he's not bothering me specifically… Am I making any sense?!"

Tsuyu looked concerned. "My first assumption towards your behaviour was because of Ikeda-ya, kero. But I've seen you sneak glances at a letter you've been hiding in your pockets."

Deku's eyes went wide. "You noticed..?" She nodded in response. "I thought I was being discreet…"

"Hmm, you were acting odd, so Todoroki-chan asked me to keep a closer eye on you."

His heart sank. Not only did Tsuyu notice his behaviour and the letter, but even Shouto was aware something was up. He was deeply ashamed in himself, but Deku supposed that it was only a matter of time before someone called him out. Maybe it was time.

"… Asui – uh, Tsu-chan… Why did you bring up Tokoyami-san?" asked Deku, unsure of where he fit into the puzzle.

Tsuyu tilted her head slightly. "I was up early the morning following Ikeda-ya, kero. Mm, I saw him slide something under your door. It was very odd, but Tokoyami-chan didn't see me, so I knew it would be strange to mention it. I do not like to doubt my friends, but I know what I saw."

Deku's hand leaned against his chin as he took in that information. Why would Fumikage deliver such a letter to him? Not only that, but if he had the chance to read it, wouldn't he have gone and told Yagi-kyokuchou or Shouto straight away? No, this letter came to him and only him. That was intentional.

"I believe you," assured Deku, biting his lip. "Thank you for telling me this… I don't want to accuse Tokoyami-san of anything, but it's strange. Tsu-chan, please read this." He didn't expect to find himself bringing out the letter, but she brought him here in confidence to explain what she saw. If she could be honest with him, he needed to do the same for her. So he reached into his pocket and held it out to him. "If you found this letter out of the blue, what would you do?"

She accepted the letter and read it over a few times, her brow furrowing. "I would report it to Yagi-kyokuchou immediately, kero."

"That's what I thought you or any other member of the Yoikusa would do! But nobody else seems to know of this…" and it vexed him to think that Fumikage delivered this letter without reporting it to his superiors. From what Deku knew of him thus far, Fumikage wasn't the kind of person who would do that. Yet he did. "… Tsu-chan, I don't want to jump to conclusions… are you certain it was Tokoyami-san that you saw?"

Tsuyu nodded. "Yes, I saw his face. The injuries on the man matched Tokoyami-chan as well… he even struggled a bit with leaning down enough to slide you that letter, kero. It was definitely him."

Deku frowned. "I see… thank you for telling me all this."

"More importantly, you must report this to Yagi-kyokuchou. The letter contents referred to him too," Tsuyu reminded him, gesturing to the paragraph about their Chief. "I can come with you if you like. Even though I have been asked to keep an eye on you multiple times, I do care about you a lot. I get this feeling like I'd be here even if I wasn't asked, kero."

Her words caused Deku's cheeks to flush bright red. He nodded quickly, almost hitting his face right onto the table in his flustered state. "Th-thank you, Asui-san! I appreciate everything you're doing for me..!" he blurted out, reaching a hand to hide his face a bit. Avoiding her eyes, he spoke again. "I care a lot about you too."

She handed the letter back to Deku before pressing a finger to her lips. "I see. Well, going forward, do not forget I'm on your side, Deku-chan. And call me 'Tsu'."

 **...**

Yagi-kyokuchou kept a straight face as Deku and Tsuyu explained everything in as much detail as they could. Deku wasn't sure of the emotions running through the Chief's mind, but he had to be honest and truthful. It was one of the most nerve-wracking conversations he'd ever had, but something about having Tsuyu at his side put him at just enough ease to push through. Her words rang true though – Deku needed to remember that he wasn't alone. There are people on his side. The Yoikusa is on his side.

Having reached the end of his explanation, Deku adjusted his sitting position so that he was on his knees, bowing deeply. "Forgive me, Yagi-kyokuchou! I know I should have come to you about this letter sooner. I'm truly sorry!"

With a sigh, Yagi-kyokuchou pinched the bridge of his nose. "Young Deku, please sit up. I know you didn't hesitate with bad intentions," he responded, exhaustion seeped into his voice. Deku sat up as told. "However I must be very clear about something – you both are suspecting young Tokoyami of a very serious offense. I understand you have a basis for this based on the letter, but perhaps as demons you have overlooked something."

Deku frowned a little, trying to think what could have been glossed over. "Oh! Of course… with Tokoyami-san's injuries, it would have been imposible for him to remove the Nomu on his own and not be spotted."

"Unless we want to doubt Shouji-chan as well – with his power he could do it," Tsuyu pointed out. It couldn't be denied that if Fumikage wanted to do something that Mezou would certainly back him up.

"But they lack a motive!" Deku reminded her. "They're both loyal Yoikusa members, which is why I didn't want to doubt them… and Tokoyami-san may not be in the best state, but he's honest with his convictions."

Tsuyu sighed. "You're right… I do think that when it came to the Nomu, Tokoyami-chan is innocent, same with Shouji-chan. I feel awful doubting them… but I know what I saw. Tokoyami-chan gave you that letter and didn't report it to anyone else."

Yagi-kyokuchou cleared his throat, causing the other two to fall silent and turn to him. "I will need to do an investigation in regards to the letter, but we began an investigation of the Nomu capture… We haven't released the details yet as the current evidence does not sit well. Please take a look," he explained, pulling out a report on the Nomu disappearance and pushing it towards the pair.

Deku picked it up, holding it out in a way that allowed Tsuyu to read over his shoulder. From what Deku could gather, there were no signs of struggle from the Nomu when it was taken, indicating the captor was most likely a welcome sight. There was no sign of a break in either. Eijirou was with Fumikage while Katsuki was receiving treatment from Shuzenji-sensei, Hanta and Mezou. Hitoshi was with Yamazaki of the Shinsengumi during the time, while Denki and Kyouka went to the Yaoyorozu Estate. Shouto and Ochaco were in a meeting with other captains of the Shinsengumi, as was Yagi-kyokuchou. Tenya, Tsuyu and Deku arrived back at headquarters around the same time. The latter two went straight to bed, but Tenya when interviewed about the incident claimed that Fumikage was up late again in the courtyard.

However, Tenya's account contradicted what Eijirou claimed, which was that Fumikage went to bed accompanied by Mezou sometime before Yagi-kyokuchou returned with Shouto and Ochaco. Neither Shouto nor Ochaco recalled seeing Fumikage staying up late, they appeared to agree with Eijirou's statement. Ochaco remained by Katsuki's side the rest of the night, while Shouto went to his quarters. However, after Hanta finished helping out with Katsuki's treatment, he too saw Fumikage up and about. He came to agree with Tenya's statement. Due to the timing, it would indicate that Hanta was the last to witness Fumikage that night.

"This report makes it sound like Tokoyami-san was in two places at once…" Deku breathed out, puzzled by how the captains all managed to contradict one another.

Tsuyu frowned. "And both Tokoyami-chan and Shouji-chan back up what Kirishima-chan had been saying…"

"Keep reading," Yagi-kyokuchou instructed, so the pair continued. It could be noted that while certain figures were purposely kept out of the investigation as they simply didn't show involvement in the key times, Ochaco insisted on giving more of a testimony.

She seemed very shocked that Tenya and Eijirou would give completely contradicting accounts. Both men are true and honest and she vouched for both of their stories, even though she couldn't back up Tenya with actual evidence. She spoke of her own banishment from her demon village, claiming she was kicked out for murdering the village chief. Ochaco firmly believed that she was innocent of the crime and that she was set up. The concept of someone being in two places at once was something that came up in her own trial.

Ochaco believed that this could be applied to the situation here also. She insisted that Fumikage was being framed for freeing the Nomu by someone with a transformation power. There was someone like that in Ochaco's home village. She couldn't recall the name, it was a terrible memory for her, nor how the transformation power worked.

Hitoshi interviewed all the soldiers of the Yoikusa, but most brought nothing of interest. All except those working under Fumikage. They reported feeling particularly groggy, like they ate or drank a drug of some kind. The times they gave worked more with Tenya's testimony than Eijirou's, even going as far as to suggest Fumikage was never out there with Eijirou at all.

While Ochaco's theory would explain the contradicting stories as well as the apparent ease in which the Nomu was taken from its holdings, there simply wasn't enough evidence at this stage.

The combination of information acquired was intriguing to Deku, but he could see why they were left at a standstill. Yagi-kyokuchou's decision not to release any of this to the other captains made a lot of sense as well. It would cause conflict as to who ought to be believed out of Tenya and Eijirou, as well as put Fumikage into a difficult position of suspicion.

"Ochaco-chan's theory… I can back it up," Tsuyu spoke up suddenly, raising her hand. Deku's eyes went wide and the Chief's head raised with interest. "… Ochaco-chan and I came from the same part of Japan, though we weren't from the same village. There was a case of a 'serial framer' – someone believed to have framed nearly a hundred people for crimes they insisted not to have committed. My family almost faced exile from our village, kero. They had a transformation power which allowed them to pass themselves off as whoever they wished, so long as they had DNA to work with. Most of Japan wrote it off as a legend though, especially because regular humans were affected more than demons were."

Deku gasped audibly, struck with a realisation. "Tokoyami's missing ear! He had blood taken from him as well. Tsu-chan, what if the Kaibyaku Kodo Tai had someone like working with them? Maybe their appearance around Ikeda-ya… what if that was to allow for time to retrieve the Nomu?"

Yagi-kyokuchou nodded along, glad that both Deku and Tsuyu were incredibly clever individuals. "I think that is the best theory we can run with… good, young Deku, young Asu—Tsuyu!" he sighed, stopping his own excitement. "Well, this isn't all good. Knowing that someone can infiltrate the Yoikusa by passing as one of our own isn't good at all… but now that we are aware of it, we can take measures against it. Thank you both for your time. Tsuyu, you are dismissed with these instructions – keep a close eye on young Tokoyami, if anything seems out of character, report it either to myself or Todoroki. Deku, stay. We should talk about that letter."

"R-Right..!"

Tsuyu nodded and stood up. "Understood. I'll see you later, Deku-chan." Once she exited the room, leaving the pair alone, the Chief spoke again.

"Now, about that letter… it's confirmed some thoughts I've been having for a while now, if I am honest," admitted Yagi-kyokuchou, "… Hisashi Midoriya is still alive, and he's got someone watching you… that someone has been watching you for a long time, I imagine. Perhaps since your banishment from Aldera."

Deku's eyes went wide. "All those years… I've been tailed..?" A shiver went straight down his spine. "… W-What if… what if that's the reason I… I did often wonder about how I'd survived this long without capture of the Phoenix Heart. If I've been tailed for so long, that would explain why."

Yagi-kyokuchou's expression was grim. "Your survival was definitely planned, young Deku. But there is something I can agree with in regards to the letter." Deku looked up, prompting the Chief to continue with his words. "I have no doubt that the Shogunate wishes to exploit my power… and if they were to catch wind of your Phoenix Heart, they would extend that reach to you. The Yoikusa does fight for the shogunate, but ultimately I want to fight for the peace of this nation. That matters more to me than any other personal vendetta."

"Kacchan wouldn't bow down to any Shogunate official if he inherited One for All," Deku mentioned, a wry smile on his lips.

"He won't be able to inherit One for All the way he is, young Deku," Yagi-kyokuchou confided, his following words like a knife plunged through the heart. "Shuzenji-sensei has had a word with me and she knows that young Bakugou has an illness that will take away his power of inheritance. She has yet to confirm the exact diagnosis, but I cannot use Katsuki Bakugou as the Inheritor of One for All."

"Kacchan's sick..?" asked Deku, disbelievingly. "I mean… he barely ever gets a little sick, but… this is serious, isn't it?" When the Chief nodded in confirmation, Deku felt as though air had been sucked out of him. He kept shaking his head. "That's not right – Kacchan always took care of his body. His fitness, his diet, his sleep, everything! Sure, I've heard him go out for drinks with the others, but they all did that! Kacchan can't—" Yagi-kyokuchou shifted closer to the boy and placed a hand to his shoulder, before pulling him into a tight hug. Deku choked out a sob. "Yagi-kyokuchou, it's all messed up right now..! Kacchan… Todoroki… everything about my father, about the Ochimizu, the Kaibyaku Kodo Tai… I want to be able to do something. I want to save everyone..!"

As Deku cried into his arms, Yagi-kyokuchou took in his words. They were thickly laced with one tragedy after another, trying to stitch up the misery that threatened to seep into the future. He knew this feeling as each year arrived and departed, a neverending chain of events. Yagi was also aware of another truth.

Deku is the only Inheritor left in the Yoikusa. With Katsuki's worsening condition, he was going to have to remain powerless. Inheriting One for All would kill him. None of the other demons had the power of inheritance. Deku and Katsuki were the only ones left.

...

 **July 1, 1864.**

 **...**

"Everyone, please welcome Sekijirou Kan as our new Military Advisor of the Yoikusa!" Yagi-kyokuchou announced in the official ceremony of Kan-sanbou's arrival with his faction. In the largest courtyard available gathered every single member of the Yoikusa, with captains at the front of the audience, while the newcomers were on the impromptu 'stage' of sorts with the Chief himself. "You will refer to him as Kan-sanbou! Due to the increase in members, we will be adding an extra 'captain' to each of our divisions."

Deku listened intently as Yagi-kyokuchou introduced the new captains. While Shouto was currently acting in Aizawa-souchou's position, he did need the extra help with all these new members. For some reason, Shouto appeared uncomfortable when a man named Yosetsu Awase was announced as the dual captain of the First Division. However, for any discomfort and awkward fidgeting Shouto felt in his position was quickly overshadowed by Katsuki's noisy outcry at the announcement of the Dual Captain of the Second Division.

"Not that fucking bastard! You've got to be kidding me, no way!" Katsuki yelled out abruptly, cutting off Yagi-kyokuchou's introductions. "At least give me someone who isn't some shitfaced asshole."

While Ochaco was debating grabbing onto Katsuki to prevent him lashing out further, it was the Second Division's new captain that made the decision for her. "Ah-ah! I thought good captains were supposed to work well with their fellows… Are the Yoikusa really this ill-mannered?" quizzed the young man known as Neito Monoma. Deku heard that Neito was a piece of work according to the others, but he didn't realise how much of a stirrer the blond really was.

"I'll show you ill-mannered-!" he began to curse really loudly as Ochaco floated him towards the very back of the group. "Round Face, what the fuck?!"

Kan-sanbou raised a brow. "Your Second Division Captain is very crude," he remarked disapprovingly.

"He has a way with words, young Bakugou! But he gets the job done, I can promise you that!" Yagi-kyokuchou hurried, finding a save to keep things running smoothly. Somehow his words caused Katsuki to pipe down at the back. "Anyway, young Kirishima is looking forward to working with young Tetsutetsu!"

"He should be, considering they have trained together in the past," Kan-sanbou replied bluntly. "That is, when he finishes celebrating his newborn..." No one was quite sure whether the new Military Advisor was irked by Tetsutetsu's absence or not, but some things were better left unknown.

After the introductions were complete, there was one more announcement in regards to tomorrow's activities. There was going to be a compulsory medical examination for all members of the Yoikusa, including the new recruits. While Deku knew he was doing well, making sure not to overdo it with the Phoenix Heart, his worries rested upon Katsuki's health. Deku couldn't quite see him from where he was standing, but the expression upon Ochaco's face told a story of tragedy without explanation.

However, once everyone was dismissed, Ochaco left all too quickly and Deku couldn't even make the attempt to comfort her. Katsuki had disappeared as well, leaving Denki to do all the talking with Neito. Luckily Denki was good at acting friendly, even though Deku knew he really didn't like Neito all that much. Instead of looking for Katsuki, Deku resumed his position at Shouto's side, joining in the conversation he was having with Yosetsu.

Shouto gave a nod to Deku, acknowledging his presence. "Awase, this is my page, Deku. You'll probably see him a lot while we're working together."

Yosetsu sized Deku up, his appraising eyes making him nervous. Deku knew he was instructed to keep quiet about his real name and his power when it came to the newcomers, but he was uncertain about how obvious he was as a demon.

"Good to meet ya, Deku!" Tosetsu gave a friendly smile, reaching over to shake Deku's hand. He had a strong, firm shake that Deku couldn't quite return soon enough before the young man drew his hand back. "I'm Yosetsu Awase… Todoroki and I go way back, well… we met through the Yaoyorozu family." Upon mention of that family, Yosetsu's eyes lit up as he turned his head towards Shouto. Deku couldn't quite place the expression on Yosetsu's face, but the words to come weren't met with joy. "Speaking of which, I wrote to your wife a while back and got a response back… congratulations, Todoroki," he reached to squeeze Shouto's shoulder, his voice lowering enough that Deku could only just hear through all the chatter around him. "…I'd always known Yaomomo wanted to be a mother. That wish is coming true for her. I'm happy for her."

With a narrow of his eyes, Shouto nodded. "It was _our_ wish to be parents," he corrected firmly, but with a voice that wasn't too heavy with tension. "Your happiness for us means a lot."

"I see... well, I'll certainly be among those celebrating when the baby's born, that's for sure!" Yosetsu chirped back a response, though Deku couldn't help but sense an underlying meaning to everything he'd been saying. But then he turned to Deku with a grin. "So what's it like working under this guy, huh? Am I in for a hard time?" he laughed, though there was at least no sign of malice in the question.

Deku's eyes widened, looking between Yosetsu and Shouto. He hated being put on the spot like this, but he didn't want to make a mess of things here. "U-Um..! Well, I… uh…" Shouto averted his eyes, which turned into a pang of sadness within for Deku. In this moment, Deku sensed some kind of air between the two young men, like he was standing between something far greater than the eye could see. He couldn't let Shouto down. "P-Personally, I think Todoroki-kun is a fantastic captain! He's very hardworking, especially since he'd been taking on Aizawa-souchou's work as well as his own. Todoroki-kun is incredible. He's studious and serious, but I feel like he cares a lot about those around him and about the cause he fights for. I've learned a lot under him and I want to keep learning more from him. Before the Yoikusa, I didn't really have much purpose but… I know my place is here, and Todoroki-kun is one of the main reasons I feel that way. Sometimes I worry he takes on too much but… I think I'm like that too. I'm hoping Todoroki-kun can depend on me more, though maybe I'm being a bit presumptuous…"

Whatever he managed to pull out as an answer, it certainly left an impression on the listeners. Shouto was gazing at him with a face Deku had never seen from him before – a look of awe. Yosetsu simply nodded, seeming as though he'd deduced something from all this.

"You're a good kid, Deku," he responded, quirking a brow. "Sounds like you two are pretty close then?"

Shouto glanced to Yosetsu, shrugging it off. "Deku and I are like-minded, so our working relationship is a strong one. What of it?"

"Hmm… I guess I just wouldn't be able to pull out words like that about any of the guys I've worked with in the past," he explained, and Deku realised what Yosetsu was getting at. Shouto didn't seem as though he caught on, which was probably a good thing.

Deku shook his head, knowing he had to respond to this carefully. "You asked a question, and I wanted to give an honest answer. Awase-san, from what I understand, you know of Todoroki-kun through the Yaoyorozu, rather than on a personal level. Perhaps once you've spent some time with the Yoikusa, you may feel similarly as I do."

Yosetsu chuckled, seemingly countered by Deku's response. "You may have a point there. Well then, let's all get along, shall we?"

"Yes," Shouto agreed, though he was all too aware of how careful Deku was in responding to Yosetsu just now. Deku was always smart and could find meanings hidden within the words spoken. It wouldn't surprise him if Deku already knew what was going on between himself and Yosetsu. He knew there would always be a rift with Yosetsu of some kind, from the moment the Yaoyorozu cut off his engagement to Momo and chose Shouto as her suitor instead. Everytime he laid eyes on Yosetsu, he saw a man who loves his wife and would always resent him for being the one to marry her, not him.

There was no genuine warmth towards Shouto over the news of the baby. Shouto knew that if Yosetsu could steal his place in a heartbeat, he would without hesitation. Was it possible that Yosetsu held a greater love for Momo than Shouto did? This debate had been going on in his mind since the announcement of their engagement and it haunted him. Why did Yosetsu have to be assigned to the First Division?

But Deku's eyes and words were so earnest when answering the challenging question Yosetsu had posed him. When Deku described Shouto as incredible, he wanted to verbalise his disagreement. How could he see a man like himself as incredible? Deku is the incredible one. He always was.

His words washed over Shouto's worries and cleansed his soul of doubt. Anything that came after that, Shouto couldn't bring himself to care. Yosetsu could be as bitter as he wanted, try to infer whatever he wanted and so on, but Shouto knew there was a greater feeling above all that.

Deku was someone he could depend on. He couldn't put this feeling into words, not even in the quiet depths of his mind. But Shouto was at ease with himself, because Deku said those words so open and honestly, and they came from the heart.

In this moment, Shouto let such thoughts bubble with a happiness he did not consider comparing to anyone or anything.

...

 **Later that evening.**

 **...**

Denki burst into the dining hall where all the captains and vice-captains were enjoying a great feast to celebrate the arrival of Kan-sanbou and his subordinates. That being said, Kan-sanbou opted to eat alone with Yagi-kyokuchou, so they sat in a different room to the rest of the group. Denki was waving a scroll in his hand as he shoved his way past disgruntled diners to sit down next to Eijirou and Hanta. "Guess what, guess what!" he managed to summon the attention of everyone now, though some were already focusing on him after he almost caused them to spill their food. "I got a letter from Jirou!" Said letter was being waved around the place from excitement.

"Jirou? As in Yaomomo's Jirou?" Yosetsu asked, prior to downing a cup of sake.

"Yeah! Wait, you know her?" Denki narrowed his eyes, the other nodding with a grin. This momentary discussion allowed for Hanta to snatch the scroll from him and make off with it. "Oi, Sero! That's mine!" He chased after his friend, trying to get it back. Some of the group laughed along, watching Hanta keep the letter out of reach from the intended recipient. At least until Katsuki snapped at them to 'sit the fuck down'.

Hanta still held onto the letter though. "I'm sitting down! But you gotta let me read it out! I mean, you were showing it off, so you muuuust want us to know the contents, right?" he asked, the amusement in his voice.

"I haven't even read it yet!" Denki protested, but it fell upon deaf ears.

So Hanta cleared his throat and unravelled the scroll to reveal the letter contents. " _Dear Kaminari_ , _when you said you were going to write to me every day, I didn't realise you meant that quite so literally._ " After the opening sentence, there were already howls of laughter teasing Denki, who hung his head in embarrassment. " _Don't worry, I haven't thrown any of the letters out. Some of the anecdotes were pretty funny, I'll admit. Writing personal letters isn't really my thing, so bear with me. I am doing well, though it is certainly much quieter without you here making an idiot of yourself. More importantly, Momo is in a much better state now. Her pregnancy is becoming a lot more obvious now… she's nearly halfway through, which is exciting!_ "

With the talk of Momo's pregnancy, all the eyes were on Shouto, who certainly looked pleased with himself as well as for his wife. But he remained quiet, allowing for Hanta to continue reading the letter.

" _Sorry to be talking so much about pregnancy and babies, but I can't forget to mention this. June 26_ _th_ _1864 during the hour of the rabbit, Itsuka gave birth to a baby girl. I laughed so hard, Tetsutetsu really loved Kirishima's name suggestion of Katsura. So the baby is called Katsura Tetsutetsu. I can't believe it… after Itsuka said she didn't want to name the baby after Bakugou..._ "

"And what the fuck is wrong with naming a kid after me?" Katsuki cut in with a scowl, causing the others to crack up even more. Now it was Eijirou hanging his head with a deep blush dusting his cheeks. Denki was glad the focus of the letter wasn't on him anymore.

Ochaco tilted her head to the side. "Katsura is a nice name, it's unique..?"

"Exactly, Round Face! So fuck any of you who thinks it's a shitty name!" Katsuki declared, refusing to take criticism from anyone. Not that anyone was criticising.

Tsuyu brought a finger to her lips. "Well, it's more original than Iida-chan naming his newborn son 'Tenji'." Deku couldn't help but smile – Tenji was born on the 24th and he knew Tenya must have been glad to have made it back in time for the birth. The letter of the news arrived extremely fast too, containing at least five scrolls' worth of writing from the excited father.

Denki laughed. "I guess he just wants a family of 'ten's?"

"Guess so!" Hanta chirped, before clearing his throat and continuing with the letter. " _It was a safe birth though, no complications or anything. Momo was on edge the entire time, so it's good nothing dramatic happened. I'm hoping it'll be the same for her as well. To be honest it's been fairly uneventful here aside from Tetsutetsu being a proud father. I'll admit, Katsura is a cute little girl. She has her mom's eyes. Haha, I bet if you ever have a kid they'll end up with your dopey face._ "

"My face isn't dopey!" protested Denki, but everyone else hushed him to let Hanta continue.

" _I bet you're making that face right now reading this_ – haha, he sure is!" Hanta grinned widely, but his eyes went wide at the letter. "Oooh… ahem. _That face can be cute sometimes, I guess. I miss seeing it. I didn't get to say it before but thank you. When you stayed with me that night I made my choice to stay with Momo, you were really comforting. I feel like I made the right choice. That being said, I am looking forward to rejoining the Yoikusa knowing that Momo and her baby are safe and sound. Take care, Kyouka. PS - You better not have shown this letter to the others._ "

The dining hall was filled with a long silence as everyone's eyes bore into Denki. His cheeks were bright red, but he had this big goofy grin on his face as he gingerly reached to take the letter back from Hanta.

As soon as the letter wound up in Denki's hands again, various voices around the room piped up, overwhelming him.

"Since when did you stay the night with Jirou?!" Hanta cried out, clutching at his heart. "You didn't tell me this!"

"Hey uh, she's not having the next baby in the group, right..?" Eijirou asked, thinking of Itsuka and Momo.

"Highly unlikely, Kirishima-chan," quipped Tsuyu, Denki struggled to keep up with all the questions and input.

"You were mistaken to bring that letter to show us," Shouto remarked. "That being said, Jirou is doing a noble job helping to protect my child. If you do anything to upset her, I will be having words."

Shinsou chuckled. "Even the vice-commander's got concerns…"

"I'm sure nothing really out of sorts occurred," Mezou added, having just finished another mouthful of edamame.

"Indeed," Fumikage agreed with his partner.

"It's probably a good thing Iida-kun isn't here to voice his opinion," Ochaco giggled nervously, already imagining the lectures he'd give Denki on all of this.

Neito slammed down his sake cup, causing all the attentions to shift towards him. "You're all overlooking the most important part in her letter!" he objected, reaching to pour himself another. "I cannot believe that Tetsutetsu ignored all of my name suggestions in favour of 'Katsura'! My ideas were brilliant, I'm telling you! And I have a far greater connection to Tetsutetsu than any of you here!"

Eijirou blinked. "Uh, what about—"

"Than any of you here!" repeated Neito, refusing to let Eijirou get his word in. This only caused other members of the group to resume their laughter.

The night went on like that, with lots of laughter and cheer. For the first time in a while, Deku began to feel more optimistic about all that was going on. He saw how well everyone was bonding over their food and drink, with even the new recruits settling in fine. Deku felt like he was part of this big family, one that could get through any hardship to come.

...

It was the early hours of the morning, with the moon still out and the sun far from its arrival. The silence was deafening. Everyone had settled into easy slumbers after a joyful night as a group. All but one.

This one man felt so neglected and isolated from the others that he couldn't bring himself to join in. Not that his absence from the party was noticed by anybody from the looks of it. Not even Mezou mentioned it when he came to bed after washing up. He didn't know what to make of that, as he knew his partner to be blunt with these things. Maybe even Mezou was forgetting about him at this rate.

Fumikage Tokoyami couldn't celebrate newcomers, so he stayed well away. The more people arrived that were of value, the more he felt as if his own importance was diminishing. He'd been having a lot of dreams lately. Dreams that felt like premonitions.

The Yoikusa were going to leave him behind if he let events happen the way they're supposed to. As the faction rose within the ranks, they'll be brought to the forefront of the conflicts spreading across Japan. Soon enough, he won't be needed anymore.

He'd often supposed that his life would be a lonely path in the darkness, but being within the Yoikusa seemed to give him purpose. Mezou gave him more than just purpose – he gave Fumikage a love that pushed away his clouded thoughts and put him at ease. Fumikage was a proud warrior with great skill with the katana.

But one by one, he started to feel like he was losing everything. The katana, the Yoikusa, Mezou…

That lonely path seemed so tempting, like an easy way out. He could close off his heart and accept all those losses.

 _"And if you decide that seppuku is your only option, then I will act as your Kaishakunin. I hope it does not come to that. If you hurt Shouji-chan by leaving him all too soon, I will not be a merciful Kaishakunin."_

Fumikage remembered those words as he stood alone in his office, swishing the liquid inside the vial he carried. The easy solution wouldn't be his solution. He wasn't going to leave Mezou, or the Yoikusa, or his katana behind. Tsuyu won't have to act as his Kaishakunin.

With a heavy weight in his heart, Fumikage made his choice.

* * *

 **next chapter: A medical examination leads to bad news for Katsuki, who is left with an ultimatum. The suspicion surrounding Fumikage is brought to the forefront. A friend is unmasked as the enemy.**


End file.
